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THE     Y^CHT     CXjTJB      SERIES. 


THE  DORCAS  CLUB; 


OR, 


OUR    aiRLS    ^FLOA^T, 


OLIVER    OPTIC, 


ATJTHOE  OP  "YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD,"  "THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  SERIES,' 

"THE  WOODVILLE  STORIES,"   "THE  STARRY  FLAG  SERIES,"  "THE 

BOAT  CLUB  STORIES,".  "  THE  LAKE  SHORE  SERIES," 

"THE  UrWARI)  AND  ONWARD  SERIES," 

ETC.,   ETC. 


WITH  THIRTEEN  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BOSTON : 

LEE     AND     SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS. 

NEW   YORK: 

LEE,  SHEPARD   AND   DILLINGHAM. 


P2 

1 

to 


Entered,  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874, 

By  WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington, 


Electrotyped  by  C  C.  Morse  &  Son,  Haverhill.  Mags, 


TO 


MISS     EDITH     H.    STEPHENS, 

OF    RATI  WAY,    N.    J. 

-whose  Jiotiorcd  father,  Henry  L.    Stcphciis,  the  artist,  I 
have    so      often    been     indebted  for    making-    things 
plainer  ivith  his    pencil   than    I  could    iviti 
my  pen,  in  many  of  my  stories, 


1.  LITTLE  BOBTAIL ;  or,  The  Wreck  of  the  Penobscot. 

2.  THE  YACHT  CLUB  ;  or,  The  Young  Boat  Builder. 

3.  MONHY-MAKER  ;  oh,  The  Victory  of  the  Basilisk. 

4.  THE  COMING  WAVE ;  or.    The    Hidden    Treasurk  of 

High  Rock. 

5.  THE  DORCAS  CLUB ;  or,  Our  Girls  Afloat. 

6.  OCEAN  BORN  ;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Clubs. 


PREFACE. 


The  Dorcas  Club  is  the  fifth  volume  of  the  Yacht  Club  Series  , 
and  like  its  fellows  in  the  same  box,  is  an  independent  story, 
having  its  own  hero,  and,  in  this  instance,  several  heroines,  with 
no  necessary  connection  with  any  other  volume  of  the  series, 
though  some  of  the  characters  whose  acquaintance  the  reader 
has  already  made  are  again  introduced.  The  Dorcas  Society,  as 
the  name  would  indicate,  was  an  association  of  young  ladies, 
banded  together  for  benevolent  purposes,  which  did  a  gr6at  deal 
of  good  in  a  humble  and  quiet  way.  The  members  of  this  Soci- 
ety formed  the  Dorcas  Club,  to  engage  in  the  healthy  and  agree- 
able exercise  of  rowing.  Not  many  years  ago  the  skilful  use  of 
an  oar  would  have  been  considered  an  unfeminine  accomplishment; 
but  happily  the  fashions  change  in  matters  of  custom  as  well  as 
garments,  and  now  even  prim  maidens  of  uncertain  age  are  not 
startled  when  they  see  young  ladies  at  the  oar.  It  is  a  pleasant 
and  health-giving  exercise  for  girls,  and  the  author  hopes  to  en- 
courage its  use. 

Like  the  other  stories  of  the  series,  the  interest  does  not  depend 
entirely  upon  the  aquatic  experience  of  the  young  ladies  and 
tlieir  friends.     Prince  Willingood,  who  is  the  proper  hero  of  the 

5 


6  PREFACE. 

volume,  is  a  young  man  of  high  aims  and  noble  purposes  who 
always  tries  to  do  right,  though  he  does"  strike  out  a  course  in- 
dependent of  his  guardian," —  in  this  case  a  wicked  and  miserly 
uncle,  whom  it  was  a  sin  to  obey,  and  a  virtue  to  resist.  The 
young  reader  who  cherishes  the  same  high  aims  and  noble  pur- 
]>oses,  will  become  a  good  man  or  a  good  woman,  though  never 
called  upon  to  act  a  part  in  events  so  exciting  as  those  in  the 
career  of  the  hero. 

TOWERHOUSE, 

October  21,  1874. 


CONTENTS. 


CKAPTER     I. 

Private  and  Confidential,         .         .         .        '-',       H 

CHAPTER    II. 
Dinner  for  One,  .....  30 

CHAPTER    III. 
The  Battle  Fought  and  Won,         ...         49 

CHAPTER     IV. 
The  Fire  at  Fox  Bushwell's  House,       .         .        69 

CHAPTER    V. 
After  the  Fire, 90 

CHAPTER    VI. 
Opening  the  Envelopes,        .        .        .        .  110 


8  CONTENTS. 

C  II  A  P  T  E  K     VI  I. 

The  First  Lessun  in  Rjwing,         ,         .         .  131 

CHAPTER     VIII. 
The  Cashier's  Family,  .....    151 

CHAPTER    IX. 

What  the  Dorcas  Society  did,         .         .         .        171 

CHAPTER     X, 

The  Undine  Club,  .....  190 

CHAPTER     XI. 

The  New  Professor  of  Rowing,         .         .         .     209 

CHAPTER     XII. 
The  Soutary  Oarsman,         ....  228 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
Mother  and  Daughter,  ....  248 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

In  the  Gloom  of  the  Night,         .         .         .  268 

CHAPTER     XV. 
The  Hole  in  the  Chimney,         .         .         .         .     288 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
The  President's  Letter,  ....        308 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER     XVII. 

The  Clubs  Pull  to  Northport,       ,         .         .         328 

CHAPTER      XVIII. 

The  Truth  will  come  out,  .         .         .  348 


THE  DORCAS  CLUB: 

OR, 

OUR    GIRLS    AFLOAT 


CHAPTER    I. 

PRIVATE   AND   CONFIDENTIAL. 

i 6 "TIT THAT'S  the  matter,  Minnie  Darling? 
Vt  You  look  so  pale!"  said  Eva  Doane, 
the  secretary,  as  the  young  lady,  president  of 
"  The  Dorcas  Society,"  entered  the  drawing- 
room  of  Captain  Patterdale's  elegant  mansion, 
where  the  meeting  for  that  week    was  held. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  haven't  felt  very  well  for 
a  month,"  replied  the  president,  languidly,  as 
she  seated  herself  on  the  sofa.  "  I  should  not 
have    come   to   the   meeting   this   afternoon,  if  I 

had  not  felt  that  I  must." 

11 


12  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"I  heard  you  were  not  well,"  added  Nellie 
Patterdale,  taking  Minnie's  white  hand.  "  Is 
it  the  slow  fever  that  prevails  so  much  just 
now?" 

"No;  I  have  no  fever;  I  am  simply  tired  out, 
and  have  lost  my  appetite.  The  doctor  says  I 
don't  take  exercise  enough." 

"Well,  why  don't  you  take  more?"  asked 
Eva. 

"  I  can't.  How  stupid  it  is  to  walk,  for 
instance,  when  you  have  nowhere  to  go,  or  to 
do  anything  just  for  the  sake  of  exercise  !  " 
replied  Minnie,  rather  pettishly,  as  though  she 
had  tried  and  failed  in  experiments  of  this  kind. 
"  As  soon  as  the  warm  weather  comes,  when 
we  can  play  croquet,  and  stay  out  doors,  I  shall 
be  well  enough.  Even  then  I  shall  envy  the 
boys  with  their  Yacht  Club ;  they  have  such 
exciting  and  health-giving  sports." 

"  Why  can't  we  have  something  of  the  kind  ?  " 
suggested  Ruth  Hapgood,  the  vice-president. 

"What,  sail  boats?"  exclaimed   Eva. 

"  No,  not  exactly  sail  them,   but  row   them." 

"  There  isn't  much  fun  or  excitement  in  merely 
paddling  about  in  the  water,"  added  Minnie. 


THE    PORCAS    CLUB.  13 

"  We  may  have  a  boat  club,  as  the  lords  of 
creation  have  a  yacht  club.  Why  not  ?  "  said 
Nellie  Pattordale. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  splendid ! "  added  Mollie 
Longimore,  one  of  the  prettiest  and  sweetest  of 
the  young  ladies  in  the  room,  though  any  one 
skilled  in  judging  of  feminine  habiliments  would 
have  observed  that  she  was  not  so  richly  dressed 
as  her  companions,  and  that  she  wore  no  costly 
jewelry. 

By  this  time  the  attention  of  all  the  young 
ladies,  varying  in  age  from  fourteen  to  twenty, 
was  engaged  in  the  new  and  exciting  topic. 
They  were  mostly  pupils  of  the  high  school  in 
the  city,  and  had  formed  the  association  for 
benevolent  purposes.  One  day  a  poor  Irish  girl, 
who  was  struggling  against  many  obstacles  to 
obtain  an  education,  was  missed  from  her  accus- 
tomed place  in  school.  One  of  the  scholars  gave 
the  information  that  the  poor  girl's  mother  had 
been  burned  out  the  night  before,  and  nearly  all 
the  clothing  of  her  three  children  had  been 
destroyed.  The  master  suggested  that  his  pupils 
should  do  something  for  the  family,  in  this  emer- 
gency, by  bringing  some  of  their  cast-off    cloth- 


14  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

ing  for  the  sufferers.  In  a  few  hours  more  gar- 
ments were  supplied  than  the  poor  woman  had 
ever  possessed  in  all  her  lifetime.  The  girls 
seemed  to  l)e  inspired  by  this  deed  of  charity, 
which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  Doecas 
Society.  It  met  one  afternoon  of  each  week, 
and  the  girls  —  many  of  them  the  daughters  of 
the  richest  citizens  of  the  place  —  made  gar- 
ments, and  collected  cast-off  clothing,  which  they 
distributed  to  the  poor,  without  distinction  of 
sect,  nation,  or  color.  When  money  was  needed, 
they  raised  it  by  carrying  subscription  papers  to 
the  wealthy. 

Everybody  who  knew  anything  about  the  mat- 
ter, declared  that  the  Dorcas  Society  did  a  great 
deal  of  good,  not  only  to  the  poor,  but  to  its 
members,  for  charity  is  "  twice  blessed."  In  the 
cutting  and  making  of  garments,  they  were 
cheerfully  assisted  by  their  mothers  and  their 
maiden  aunts,  and  being  deeply  interested  in 
their  employment,  they  made  great  proficiency 
in  the  arts  of  sewing  and  dress-making.  Doubt- 
less some  of  the  wealthier  ones  obtained  a  knowl- 
edge of  what  they  would  not  have  been  required 
to  learn  at   home. 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  15 

As  it  was  a  sewing  society,  and  as  the  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  afternoon,  the  boys  of  the 
school  were  very  sorry  to  find  that  they  could 
take  no  part  in  the  good  work ;  for  the  mothers 
of  the  girls  insisted,  for  obvious  reasons,  that 
the  young  men  should  not  be  admitted  to  the 
society. 

The  young  "lords  of  creation"  wished  to  con- 
tribute money,  if  nothing  more,  to  the  enter- 
l)rise ;  but  even  this  aid  was  resolutely  declined. 
Yet  the  attendance  of  one  boy  was  requested  at 
each  meeting,  by  the  society,  who  was  graciously 
permitted  to  run  of  errands  for  the  members,  to 
purchase  thread  and  needles,  deliver  bundles,  or 
even,  if  not  otherwise  employed,  to  hold  a  skein 
of  thread  or  yarn  for  winding.  The  mothers  and 
maiden  aunts  were  fully  assured  that  there  was  no 
"  flirting  "  in  the  society,  which  now  consisted  of 
twenty-five  members. 

"  We  could  form  a  boat  club  as  well  as  the 
boys,"  said  Nellie  Patterdale. 

"  And  buy  a  boat,"  added  Ruth  Hapgood, 
"  so  that  we  could  have  it  all  to  ourselves." 

"  How  much  would  it  cost  ? "  asked  Mollie 
Longimore,  whose  enthusiasm  seemed  to  be  sud- 
denly checked. 


16  THE   DORCAS   CLTTB, 

"  That  would  depend  upon  the  size  and  finish 
of  it,  I  suppose,"  replied  Nellie,  "  My  father 
has  alwaj-s  said  that  rowing  was  a  good  exercise 
for  girls ;  and  he  has  seen  young  ladies  row  as 
well  or  better  than  any  boys." 

"  Mercury,"  said  Minnie,  calling  to  Prince 
Willingood,  who  was  the  errand  boy  of  the  after- 
noon ;  and  whoever  held  the  office,  he  was  always 
addressed  by  the  name  of  the  messenger  of  the 
gods,  as,  being  the  messenger  of  the  goddesses, 
it  was  quite  appropriate  that  he  should  be. 

"Miss  President,"  replied  Prince,  a  good- 
looking  fellow  of  seventeen,  though  not  very 
well  dressed. 

The  young  man  bowed  low,  as  he  stood  before 
the  chief  officer  of  the  association.  His  eye 
twinkled,  and  it  was  evident  that  he  was  just  a 
little  inclined  to  burlesque  the  forms  of  the 
society. 

*'  Do  you  know  anything  about  row-boats, 
Mercury?"  inquired  the  president, 

"Do  I  know  anything  about  row-boats,  Min- 
nie, darling?"  he  replied, 

"  My  name  is  Minnie  Darling,"  said  the  chief 
officer,  blushing  deeply ;  and  the  givh   began    to 


V 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  17 

titter,  as  girls  sometimes  will,  though  not    often 
«/  on  such  solemn  occasions  as  the  present. 
'        "I  beg    your    pardon,    Miss    President ;  but  I 
said  Minnie,  darling,"  added  Prince,  bowing  low 
again. 

"  You  will  oblige  me  by  putting  your  words 
a  little  more  closely  together,  for  you  speak  my 
name  as  you  would  read  it  if  some  blundering 
writer  had  put  a  comma  between  the  Christian 
and  surname." 

"  Pardon  me  ;  I  will  try  to  do  better.  Min- 
nie darling  —  how  is  that?" 

Though  he  made  no  pause  between  the  two 
words,  he  emphasized  the  first  so  that  the  effect 
was  the  same  as   before. 

"That  will  not  do,  sir!"  exclaimed  the  presi- 
dent, sharply.  "I  shall  punish  you  for  contempt 
of  court — " 

"  Pardon  me  ;  I  have  no  contempt  of  conrt ; 
for  I  think  courting  must  be  one  of  the  nicest 
things  in  the  world,  though  I  don't  know  any- 
thing about  in  myself. 

"  I  shall  banish  jou  from  the  Dorcas  Society 
forever." 

"  Don't    do    that !  "  pleaded    Prince,    dropping 
2 


18  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

upon  his  knees,  and  extending  his  arms,  as  one 
might  do  in  a  play. 

"  As  the  president  of  this  association,  I  will 
not  permit  such  language,"  said  Minnie  Darling, 
severely. 

"I  will  never  do  it  again!  I  solemnly  prom- 
ise, I  vow  on  the  honor  of  a  knight  — " 

"Silence,  sir!" 

"I  am  dumb." 

"  Shall  this  culprit  be  banished  from  our  pres- 
ence. Sisters  of  Dorcas?"  continued  the  presi- 
dent, turning  to  the  young  ladies,  whose  mirth 
did  not  permit  them  to  work.  "  Those  in  favor 
of  it  Avill  say,  '  Ay.'  " 

Not  one  voted. 

"  Those  opposed  will  say  —  exercitationibusque.''^ 

"  ExercUationihuscpie^  exclaimed  several  who 
studied  Latin,  and  knew  the  word. 

"  By  the  grace  of  these  sisters  of  Dorcas  you 
are  saved  from  banishment,  Mercury  ;  but,  like 
General  Jackson,  I  Avill  take  the  responsibility, 
and  drive  you  from  this  Eden,  if  you  ever 
address  me  by  any  other  than  my  official  title." 

"I  never  v.ill,  Min  —  Miss  President — thanks 
for  your  ck'r.icney,"  answered  Prince,  bowing 
low  acrain. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  10 

"  I  a'okcd  you,  Mercury,  if  you  know  anything 
about  row-boats?     I  repeat  the  question." 

"  I  do,   Miss  President." 

"What  do  you  know?" 

"  That  they    are    u;;ed    mostly    in    the    water, 
Miss  President." 

"  Indeed,  Mercury  !  " 

"They  are  not  uf  much  use  where  there  is  no 
water,   Miso  President." 

"  I  see    that   you    understand   the    whole    sub- 
ject.    How  ranch  do  row-boats  cost?" 

"From    two    dollars   and   fifty   cents   up    to   a 
thousand  dollars,  Miss  President." 

"That  is  very  definite." 

"  Row-boats  are  very  definite,  and  include 
everything  from  a  calked  sugar-box  up  to  the 
launch  of  a  ship-of-the-line,  Miss  President." 
•  "  Do  you  know  of  a  light  boat,  in  which  young 
ladies  might  practise  the  art  of  rowing,  Mer- 
cury?" 

"I  do." 

"Is  it  for  sale?" 

"Alas!  I  know  not." 

"Could  you  ascertain?" 

"I    could." 

"Go  and  do  so." 


20  THE  Dor.cAs  club. 

"I  Hy  on  the  wings  of — J.  Prince  Willin- 
goocl." 

"Where  is  the  boat,  Mercury?" 

"In  the  shop  of  Don  John,  the  renowned 
Doat-buildcr,  otherwise  Ramsey  &  Son,  who  built 
it  witli  liis  own  skilful  hands  during  the  winter 
which  has  just  passed  away." 

"  If  for  sale,  ascertain  the  price,  and  whether 
it  is  suitable  for  young  ladies." 

"I  am  gone,  Miss  President;"  and  in  another 
instant  he  was  gone. 

Prince  Willingood  hastened  to  the  shop  of 
Don  John,  the  builder  of  the  Sea  Foam,  Maud, 
Alice,  and  other  celebrated  yachts  of  the  fleet. 
The  young  builder  was  hard  at  work  painting  a 
beautiful  four-oar  race-boat  which  he  had  just 
completed. 

"How  you  was,  Don  John?"  said  Prince. 

"First  rate;  how  are  you,  Prince?" 

"  Salubrious.  What  are  you  going  to  do  with 
that  boat,  Don  John?"  said  the  messenger  of 
the  goddesses,  proceeding  to  business. 

"  That  depends.  Work  was  slack,  with  me 
this  last  winter,  and  I  built  her  more  for  the 
fun  of  it,  and  to  see  what  I  could  do  in  this 
line,  than  for  any  other  reason." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  21 

"Well,  she  is  as  handsome  as  the  prettiest 
girl  ill  the  High  School.  But  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with    her?" 

"  Sell  her,  I  suppose,  if  anybody  wants  her." 

"Then  she  is  for  sale?" 

"  She  is,  thoug'li  1  don't  care  any  great  about 
selling  her.  I  have  an  idea  in  my  head,  though 
I  may  sell  her." 

"What's  that?" 

"I  think  I  won't  say  anything  about  it  now," 
laughed  Don  John. 

"What's  the  price  of  her?" 

"Two  hundred  dollars." 

"  Lowest  price  ?  " 

"  The  very  lowest.  I  will  keep  her  for  my 
idea  rather  than  let   her  go  for  less." 

"Is  she  fit  for  girls  —  for  young  ladies  —  you 
know!  " 

"  For  young  ladies  !  "  exclaimed   Don  John. 

"That's  what  I  said." 

"But  why  do  you  ask  such  a  question?" 

"  That's    my  idea,    and   I   think   I    won't   say 
any  thing  about  it,"  replied  Prince,  demurely. 
.  "  She  is  just  the  thing  for  young  ladies.     She 
is  very  light  and  very  strong." 


22  THE    DOECAS    CLUB. 

"  Right ;  that's  all ;  good  by,  Don  John  ;  "  ancl 
Prince  turned  on  his  heel  and  left  the  shop, 
each  of  the  young  men  wondering  what  the 
other's  idea  was. 

Mercury  returned  to  the  elegant  mansion  of 
Captain  Patterdale,  and  was  in  the  presence  of 
the  goddesses  again. 

''  Miss  President." 

"  Mercury." 

"  The  row-boat  is  for  sale." 

"The  price?" 

"Two  hundred  dollars." 

"Is  it  suitable  for  young  ladies  ? " 

"  Most  suitable,  Miss  President,  for  the  re- 
nowned boat-builder  a  sures  me  she  is  very  hght 
and  very  strong." 

"How  large  is  she.   Mercury?" 

"I  have  not  her  length;  but  she  must  be 
thirty-five  or  forty  feet  long.  She  pulls  four 
oars,  and  has  room  in  the  stern-sheets  for  two 
at  least,  besides  the  one  who  holds  the  tiller- 
ropes." 

"It  is  well.  Mercury.  Did  you  say  aught  to 
the  boat-builder  that  the  Sisters  of  Dorcas  sent 
you?" 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  23 

"  I  said  nought  to  him  that  the  goddesses  had 
made  me  their  winged  messenger,  Miss  Presi- 
dent." 

"  You  were  wise  and  discreet.  Now,  good 
Mercury,  carry  that  bundle  to  Mrs.  McFinnigan, 
in  the  rear  of  Miller's  store." 

Prince  departed  upon  the  errand,  and  the 
members  discussed  with  enthusiasm  tlie  purchase 
of  the  new  boat  in  the  shop  of  Don  John.  If 
twenty  of  them  contributed  ten  dollars  apiece, 
the  boat  could  be  bought  at  once.  Poor  Mollie 
Longimore  did  not  say  a  word,  and  all  her 
enthusiasm  had  suddenly  subsided.  Her  father 
was  not  a  millionaire,  like  Mr.  Montague,  nor  a 
half -millionaire^  like  Captain  Patterdale.  His 
salary  as  the  cashier  of  one  of  the  banks  was 
not  large,  and  there  had  been  much  sickness  in 
the  family  during  the  winter.  All  the  children 
but  herself  had  had  the  scarlet  fever,  and  the 
doctor's  bills  and  other  expenses  had  been  very 
large.  She  knew  that  her  father  had  been  much 
troubled  about  money  matters,  and  she  could 
not  think  of  asking  him  for  ten  dollars  to  pay 
her  share  of  the  cost  of  the  boat.  Only  the 
daughters  of  the  rich  men  ought  to  expect  to 
pay  so  much  for  such  a  luxury. 


21  THE    DOItC'AS    CLUB. 

''We  M'ill  call  i(,  (lie  Domis  Club/' siiid  Nc-llio 
Pattcrdule.     ''  1  like  tliat  name  ever  so  much." 

"  So  do  I.  ""J'hat's  s])leudid  !  I  was  going  to 
suggest  tlie  P>(MH;v()leut  lioat  Club,"  added  Ruth; 
"but  I  Hke  the  old   name  better," 

"  Will  the  boat  club  and  the  sewing  society 
be  the  same  thing?"  asked  Mollic  Longimove, 
with  a  troubled  expression. 

"Yes;  have  it  the  same  thing,"  suggested  Eva. 

"  Very  well ;  chang(!  the  name  from  '  society  ' 
to  '  club,'  "  added  Minnie.  "  Then  we  shall  be 
an  association  for  rowing  and  doing  good  to  the 
poor." 

"  But  we  can't  all  engage  in  the  boating  part 
of  the  society's  business,"  said  MoUie. 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  Nellie,  with  no  little  aston- 
ishment. 

"  We  are  not  all  of  us  daughters  of  the  nabobs 
of  the  city,"  replied  Mollie,  with  a  blush ;  for 
though  slie  had  courage  enough  to  acknowledge 
the  fact,  it  was  no  more  than  human  for  her  to 
feel  the  distinction  between  the  rich  and  the 
poor  of  society. 

Indeed,  it  is  generally  the  poor  who  feel  it 
more  than   the    rich. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  2o 

"  What  has  that  to  do  with  it  ?  "  asked  Nelhe, 
with  a  merry  laugh. 

"  Some  of  us  cannot  afford  to  pay  ten  dollars 
towards  the  boat,"  said  Mollie. 

"We  don't  ask  anybody  to  do  so,"  added 
Minnie.  "  Tlie  })nrchase  of  the  boiit  shall  be  by 
voluntary  contribution.  Certainly  we  shall  not 
compel  any  one  to  pay  anything." 

•'  But  those  who  do  not  pay  anything  will 
not  feel  like  taking  places  in  the  boat,"  argued 
Molhe. 

"  But  they  must  be  made  to  feel  like  it,"  per- 
sisted Nellie,  warmly.  "It  is  no  virtue  on  the 
part  of  any  member  that  her  father  happens  to 
be  rich ;  and  I  am  sure  the  Dorcas  Society  has 
always  been  as  democratic  as  anything  could  be. 
I  don't  think  any  one  of  us  ever  thought  whether 
a  girl's  father  was  rich  or  poor.  Perhaps  our 
fathers  and  mothers  will  not  approve  of  our  get- 
ting the  boat." 

"  O,  I  know  they  will !  "  exclaimed  Eva. 

"  We  can  ascertain  before  the  next  meeting^'* 
said  Minnie. 

"  But  Mollie  has  almost  frightened  me  out  of 
the  idea   of    having   a   boat,"    continued    Nellie, 


26  THE    DOIICAS    CLUB. 

seriously.  "  I  wouldn't  have  an3^tliing  like  an 
aristocracy  in  the  club,  or  any  feeling  that  one 
is  better  or  richer  than  another.  If  Ave  have  a 
boat,  she  must  be  as  much  for  one  as  for  another. 
I  wish  some  one  would  make  us  a  present  of 
the  boat,  so  as  to  save  us  from  this  difficulty." 
"  Perhaps  some  one  would,  if  people  knew 
that  we  wanted  a  boat,"  suggested   Ruth. 

"  We  don't  care  to  beg,  or  hint  our  wishes," 
added  Minnie.  "  But  it  can  be  managed  in  some 
way.  Do  you  suppose  girls  can  keep  a  secret?  " 
"  I  know  they  can,"  laughed  Eva.  "  I  am 
more  afraid  of  INIercury  than  I  am  of  the  girls." 
"  Miss  President,  I  will  never  open  my  mouth, 
except  to  eat,  outside  of  the  lodge,"  protested 
Prince,  who  had  returned. 

"  Lodge  !  "  exclaimed  the  girls. 
"If  you  are  going  to  have  a  secret  society,  it 
will  be  a  lodge,"  added  the   messenger. 

"  But  we  only  want  to  keep  the  secret  from 
each  other.  We  don't  want  it  to  be  known  who 
contributes  for  the  boat,"  explained  Minnie. 

"  I  can  manage  that  nicely,"  said  Nellie,  going 
to  the  book-case  in  the  room  and  taking  there- 
from a  package  of  plain  white  envelopes,  and 
giving  them  out,  one  to  eacli  member. 


THE    DOKCAS    CLUB.  27 

"  What's  that  for  ?  "  asked  Minnio. 

''  I  will  tell  you,"  ansv/ered  Nellie,  seating 
herself  again.  "  Each  girl  shall  give  the  envel- 
ope to  her  father,  explaining  to  him  that  Ave 
desire  to  purchase  the  boat  without  any  of  our 
members  knowing  who  pays  for  it.  She  shall 
tell  her  father  that  no  one  must  contribute  a 
dollar  unless  he  feels  able  to  do  so,  and  no  one 
is  to  know  whether  he  gives  anything  or  not ; 
and  he  must  be  pledged  not  to  tell  of  it  him- 
self. Whatever  he  is  willing  to  contribute,  he 
must  put  into  the  envelope,  seal  it  up,  and  give 
it  to  his  daughter,  who  shall  hand  it  to  the 
treasurer  at  the  next  meeting." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  President ;  but  may 
I  be  permitted  to  offer  a  suggestion?"  inter- 
posed Prince,  who  was  quite  as  much  interested 
in  the  plan  as  the  young  ladies. 

"Certainly;  go  on.  Mercury,"  replied   Minnie. 

"  Any  girl  can  see  whether  the  envelope  con- 
tains a  bill  or  not  by  holding  it  up  to  the  light. 
Besides,  all  the  girls  won't  tell  the  story  in  the 
same  way ;  and  if  any  one  forgets  part  of  the 
explanation,  tlie  plan  would  fail.  Joe  Guilford 
has  a  printing   press    and   plenty   of   type.       He 


28  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

publishes  the  High  School  Amateur,  you  know, 
and  does  job-work  besides.  Suppose  you  write 
a  circular,  explaining  the  Avhole  plan,  print  it, 
and  put  it  into  the  envelope,  asking  the  father 
to  return  the  circular,  with  his  money  folded 
into  it,  in  the  envelope." 

''Very  good,  indeed.  Mercury!"  rephed  Min- 
nie ;  and  the  plan  was  adopted. 

Nellie  proceeded  to  write  the  circular,  which 
was  read  and  amended  till  it  was  adopted  by 
vote.  Prince  was  appointed  to  procure  the  print- 
ing of  it.  Three  days  later,  the  work  was  done, 
the  copies  enclosed  in  white  envelopes,  and  given 
to  the   members. 

The  document  was  headed  "  Private  and  con- 
fidential," and  Joe  Guilford  was  not  allowed 
even  to  keep  a  copy  in  his  printing  office.  It 
was  very  clearly  written,  and  appealed  to  the 
fathers  to  whom  it  was  addressed  to  keep  the 
secret  for  the  good  of  all  concerned.  Those  who 
■  did  not  favor  the  enterprise,  and  those  who  were 
unable  or  unwilling  to  give  to  the  object,  had 
the  assurance  that  no  one  but  themselves  would 
know  how  much  they  contributed,  or  if  they 
contributed  at  all,  if  they  concealed  the  fact 
themselves,  as  they  were  requested  to  do. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  29 

Mollic  Longimore  received  her  envelope,  with 
the  otlier  members,  hut  she  took  it  with  some 
embarrasment. 

"I  don't  feel  just  right  about  it,  Minnie,"  she 
said.     "Must  I  give  it  to  my  father?" 

'"  There  is  nothing  to  compel   you    to    do  so," 
replied  tlie  president. 

"  My  father  is  not  able  to  give  even  a  dollar ; 
luit  lie  is  proud,  and  he  would  feel  obliged  to 
do  so,  if  i  gave  him  the  circular,"  added  Molhe, 
blushing. 

"  Do  as  you  think  l)est,  and  I  will  take  the 
responsibility,  Mollie  ;  only  return  the  envelope 
at  the  next  meeting,  sealed  like  the  others. 

And  Mollie  decided  that  she  would  not  even 
tempt  her  troubled  father  to  contribute  a  single 
dollar  to  the  boat.  As  she  walked  towards 
home,  Prince  Willingood   overtook  her. 


THE   DOKCAS    CLUB. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DINNER    FOU  ONE. 

OLLIE  LONGIMORE  was  a  good  girl, 
And  if  she  knew  tliat  she  was  pretty, 
she  did  not  seem  to  know  it.  She  lived  in  the 
same  !_;treet  with  Prince  Willingood,  and  so  it 
lia})pened  that  they  often  walked  to  and  from 
school  together.  It  is  not  certain  that  they  did 
not  sometimes  wallc  together  by  the  connivance  of 
Prince,  though  never  by  that  of  Mollie.  For 
tliis  and  some  other  reasons  they  were  better 
acquainted  and  more  intimate  with  each  other 
than  the  most  of  their  schoolmates. 

Whether  Mollie  knew  that  she  was  pretty  or 
not,  Prince  had  a  decided  opinion  in  favor  of 
the  affirmative  of  this  proposition ;  and  this  may 
])e  one  reason  why  they  so  often  chanced  to  get 
home  from  school  at  about  the  same  time.  Pro- 
bably the  young  man  had  no  very  definite  ideas 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  CI 

of  love,  ill  relation  to  the  vouiig  lady,  and  had 
not  yet  made  up  his  mind  that  he  Avould  die 
for  Mollie,  or  even  live  for  her;  but  he  had  a 
very  high  respect,  and  a  very  deep  regard,  for 
her. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  your  envelope,  Mollie  ?  " 
said  he,  placing  himself  by  her  side,  though  at 
a  bashful  distance  from  her. 

''Yes,  I  have  it;  but  I  am  not  going  to  give 
it  to  my  lather,"  replied  she,  decidedly. 

"Why  not?" 

"I  don't  think  it  would  be  right  to  do  so; 
and  Minnie  told  me  to  do  as  I  thought  best. 
We  have  had  some  one  sick  in  the  family  all 
winter,  and  father  feels  very  poor." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  circu- 
lar?" asked  Prince. 

"  I  shall  return  it  at  the  meeting  next  Tues- 
day. I  wish  you  would  keep  it  for  me  till  that 
time,  Prince.  I  don't  like  to  carry  it  home,  for 
fear  mother  or  father  might  see  it.  The  child- 
ren are  always  poking  over  my  books  and 
papers." 

"  I  will  keeji  it,  and  give  it  to  you  when  you 
go  to  the  meeting,  for  I    am    not    Mercury   next 


oZ  THE    DORCAS    CLUI). 

time,  you  knovr,"  replied  Prince,  as  he  took  the 
envelope  and  placed  it  iu  one  of  his    books. 

**  Thank  you.  Prince.  I  wouldn't  have  father 
see  it  for  anything,",  for  I  am  almost  sure  he 
would  feel  obliged  to  give  something  if  he  read 
the  circulav.  He  has  pride  enough  for  a  man 
who  is  worth  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mother 
told  me  the  other  day  that  I  must  not  ask  him 
for  any  new  dress  tliis  spring,  because  he  is  so 
terribly  worried  about  money  matters.  But  don't 
you  tell  anybody  what  I  say,  for  all  the  world, 
Prince.'' 

"  Certainly  not,  MoUie." 

*'  I  wouldn't  have  said  anything,  but  I  have 
felt  so  badly  about  this  circular  ever  since  the 
plan  was  mentioned.  I  think  I  must  withdraw 
from  the  Dorcas  Society,  for  I  ought  not  even 
to  pay  the  dollar  a  year  for  my  membership. 
Father  has  grown  so  pale  and  thin,  worrying 
about  the  bills  he  cannot  pay,  that  I  am  afraid 
he  will  be  sick.  Your  uncle  knows  all  about  his 
affairs,  and  I  suppose  you  do." 

"  My  uncle ! "  repeated  Prince,  and  his  lips 
seemed  to  be  involuntarily  compressed*  as  he 
uttered  the  words.     "  He  don't  tell  me  about  his 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  33 

business  ;  but  I  tliiuk  3'our  father  would  be  less 
miserable  if  he  had  some  other  man  for  his  prin- 
cipal creditor." 

"  1  never   heard   father   say    anything    against 
your  uncle." 

"  Your    father   is   not   one   of   the   sort   to   do 
so." 

"  He  ivS  very  patient   and   uncomplaining,    but 
he  suffers  terribly." 

At  this  point  of  the  conversation,  they  reached 
the  house  of  the  cashier,  and  MoUie  parted  from 
her  friend.  Prince  crossed  the  street,  and  opened 
the  broken-down  gate  of  a  dilapidated  dwelling. 
It  looked  like  the  home  of  poverty ;  but  it  was 
not.  It  was  the  smallest  and  meanest  house  on 
the  street.  Prince  entered  it  at  the  street  door, 
and  passed  into  the  front  apartment,  which  was 
the  sitting-room.  Its  ragged  carpet,  its  painted 
chairs,  scarred  by  long  use,  its  broken  rocking- 
chair,  its  cheap,  rude  secretar}^,  the  dented, 
smoking  stove,  were  in  keeping  with  the  exte- 
rior of  the  house,  and  everything  within  and 
without  indicated  the  meanness  of  the  owner 
and  occupant,  Mr.  Fox  Bushwell,  the  uncle  and 
guardian  of  the  3'oung  man. 
3 


34  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

Prince  tossed  his  books  upon  a  three-legged 
table  and  passed  out  into  the  kitchen.  It  was 
half  past  two  in  the  afternoon,  and,  like  all 
other  school-boys  he  was  hungry.  He  was  a 
growing  boy  of  seventeen,  and  he  was  blessed 
with  an  appetite.  Mr.  Fox  Bushwell  did  not  so 
regard  that  appetite ;  to  him  it  was  a  curse. 
Even  Mrs.  Pining,  the  melancholy  housekeeper 
of  the  establishment,  did  not  view  it  with  favor, 
for  it  certainly  increased  the  amount,  though 
not  the  variety,  of  her  culinary  toils. 

The  dinner  table  standing  against  the  wall, 
with  one  leaf  raised,  was  waiting  the  late-comer 
from  school.  Her  employer  insisted  upon  having 
his  meal  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  Mrs.  Pining 
groaned  at  the  necessity  of  keeping  Prince's  din- 
ner for  him  till  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  as  she 
expressed  it ;  but  as  she  never  bestowed  any 
extra  labor  on  the  hungry  boy,  he  was  the  prin- 
cipal sufferer  under  the  arrangement.  The  house- 
keeper placed  the  dinner  on  the  table,  and 
Prince  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room  looking 
at  the  woman  and  at  the  food.  He  did  not  say 
anything  for  some  time,  but  it  was  plain  enough 
to  Mrs.    Pining   that   thought   and  feeling   were 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  35 

boiling-  in  liis  mind  and  heart.  Not  that  he  was 
a  grumbler  or  an  unreasonable  young  man ;  not 
that  lie  was  given  to  "  turning  up  his  nose  at 
his  victuals,"  for  Prince  was  easily  satisfied,  and 
entirely  reasonable  in  his  desires. 

We  confess  that  we  have  some  doubts  about 
recording  the  scenes  which  transpired  that  after- 
noon in  the  kitchen  and  sitting-room  of  Fox 
Bushwell's  house,  lest  we  should  again  be  charged 
with  picturing  a  hero  who  rebels  against  his  guar- 
dian, and  therefore  commits  forgery  and  theft.  A 
boy  who  is  bad  enough  to  insist  upon  his  own 
clear  right  to  decent  food,  when  it  is  paid  for  out 
of  his  own  inheritance, —  even,  when  driven  to 
desparation,  to  "strike  out  for  his  rights," — 
ought  to  be  wicked  enough  to  forge  a  note  or  steal 
his  friend's  money.  Of  course  boj's  have  no  rights 
which  a  cruel  and  selfish  guardian  is  bound  to 
respect.  Of  course  boys  are  not  capable  of 
judging  whether  they  are  misused  or  not;  and 
tliose  Avho  are  well  treated  are  sure  to  imitate 
the  example  of  those  wlio  are  ill  treated,  if  they 
"  strike  for  their  rights."  Even  a  bright  boy 
does  not  know  the  difference  between  right  and 
wrong.     If  he  is  well  clothed,   lodged,    and   fed, 


36  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

he  will  so  confuse  and  confound  things  as  to 
imagine  that  he  is  de^'rived  of  the  simple  com- 
forts of  life ! 

Truly  it  is  an  awful  responsibility  which  one 
assumes  in  telling  the  story  of  a  bo}^,  who  under 
any  possible  circumstances,  rebels  against  his 
guardian ;  and  before  we  do  so,  we  must  sol- 
emnl}'-  appeal  to  all  our  boy-readers  iiot  to  con- 
found their  own  situation  with  that  of  the  hero. 
If  you  dine  upon  roast  beef,  roast  turkey,  chicken 
pie,  and  similar  luxuries  every  day  in  the  week, 
do  not  consider  yourself  starved,  and  commit 
forgery — we  beg  of  you,  boys,  don't  do  it.  If 
you  are  decently  and  comfortably  clothed,  do 
not  imagine  that  you  are  naked,  and  break  into 
a  bank.  If  you  have  a  nice  room  at  home,  with 
a  hair  mattress  to  sleep  upon,  do  not  allow 
yourself  to  believe  that  you  have  to  sleep  on 
the  hay  in  the  barn,  and  pick  somebody's  pocket. 
If  you  have  kind  parents,  or  even  maiden  aunts, 
who  love  3^ou,  watch  over  you,  and  care  for 
you  in  sickness  and  in  health,  though  they  faith- 
fully rebuke  your  faults,  do  not  imagine  that 
you  are  tyranized  over  by  cruel  guardians,  and 
get  up  a  riot  in  the  High  School. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  37 

Of  course  boys  from  the  age  of  twelve  to 
twenty  are  uttei-ly  incapal)le  of  making  distinc- 
tions, and  must  believe,  in  tlieir  own  cases,  that 
they  are  treated  with  the  utmost  severity,  if 
their  mothers  tell  them  not  to  stay  out  after 
midnight.  They  can  not  tell  the  difference 
between  their  own  happy  lot  and  that  of  the 
boy  who  is  kicked  and  cuffed,  starved  and  ill 
treated  in  any  manner,  in  the  story,  even  if  the 
writer  of  it  uses  his  utmost  ingenuity  to  make 
out  as  bad  a  case  as  possible  for  his  hero.  Of 
coilrse  the  brighter  the  boy  who  lives  out  his 
real  life  on  Murray  Hill,  the  more  likely  he  is 
to  imagine  himself  the  victim  of  a  cruel  tyrant. 
We  hope  the  boys  will  all  heed  this  solemn 
warning :  do  not  strike  for  liberty  until  you  are 
reasonably  sure  that  you  are  a  slave,  or  in  prison, 
or  are  abused  and  down-trodden.  Feeling  con- 
fident that  not  a  single  one  of  our  readers  — 
after  this  admonition  —  will  commit  forgery  be- 
cause Prince  Wilhngood  was  ill  treated,  we  will 
go  on  with  the  story. 

Mrs.  Pining  had  put  the  dinner  on  the  table, 
and  the  young  man  stood  looking  at  it.  Even 
the  housekeeper   saw   that    he    was    dissatisfied, 


d»  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

and  that  he  had  the  manner  of  one  who  intended 
mischief.  It  ought  to  be  said  that  Prince  had 
been  a  j^atient  sufferer,  and  up  to  this  time 
had  made  no  trouble  in  the  house.  However 
he  had  felt  aggrieved  at  the  diet  provided  for 
him,  he  had  hardly  ever  uttered  a  complaint. 

The  dinner  set  before  him  consisted  of  salt 
fish,  potatoes,  and  hard  brown  bread.  The  drawn 
butter  provided  for  the  fish  was  very  strong  of 
warm  water,  and  very  strong  of  butter  —  not  on 
account  of  the  quantity  of  butter  in  it,  but  on 
account  of  the  inherent  strength  of  the  butter 
itself.  The  potatoes,  originally  boiled,  had  lat- 
terly been  baked  till  they  were  of  the  color  and 
consistency  of  sole  leather.  Now,  if  this  had 
been  an  accidental  or  occasional  dinner,  on  a 
washing,  house-cleaning,  or  other  day  of  domes- 
tic casualities,  I  am  sure  that  Prince  would  not 
have  felt  justified  in  turning  up  his  nose  at  the 
fare  set  before  him. 

For  our  part,  we  cordially  approve  a  "  Cape 
Cod  turkey,"  or  salt  fish  dinner,  even  as  often 
as  once  a  week ;  l)ut  we  in;  ist  upon  the  boiled 
beets,  egg  sauce,  and  pork  scraps,  which  are  as 
much  its  constituent  elements  as   the   fish  itself. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  39 

Yet  we  could  not  stand  it  four  times  a  week 
anj  more  than  Prince  Willingood  could.  The 
staple  articles  of  Fox  BushwelFs  bill  of  fare 
were  salt  fish  and  baked  beans,  varied  witli  fresh 
fish  —  when  Prince  caught  it  liimsclf  Once  in 
a  while  the  proprietor  of  the  tumble-down  house 
bought  some  corned  beef,  or  "  salt  hcu'se,"  at 
the  ship  chandler's,  when  it  was  too  poor  for 
sailors'  use. 

On  this  occasion  Prince  was  unusually  hungry, 
even  for  a  school-boy.  He  never  carried  a  lunch- 
eon, as  most  of  his  school-mates  did,  because 
there  was  nothing  in  the  house  to  carry  but 
brown  bread ;  and  his  pride  would  not  permit 
him  to  eat  that  in  the  presence  of  his  school- 
mates, who  took  sandwitches,  pie,  cake,  and 
doughnuts  from  their  tin  boxes.  If  his  friends 
—  and  he  had  plenty  of  them  —  had  known  how 
it  was  with  him,  they  would  have  insisted  upon 
his  partaking  of  their  lunches. 

That  morning  the  oak-leaf  tea  had  been  par- 
ticularl}^  bad,  even  worse  than  the  crust-coffee 
which  the  housekeeper  sometimes  made,  and  the 
herring  had  been  so  abominably  strong  and  salt 
that  he  had  gone  to  school   as   hungry   as    when 


40  THE   DOKCAS    CLUB. 

lie  got  up.     At  half  past    two    in   the   afternoon 
his  appetite  had  not  diminished. 

Prince  was  hungry  enough  to  eat  salt  fish  and 
strong  butter  ;  and  probably  he  would  have  done 
so  if  he  had  not  been  considering  the  situation, 
and  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  his 
duty  to  submit  to  semi-starvation.  He  had  made 
up  his  mind  that  he  could  not  stand  it  any 
longer,  even  if  the  flesh  was  willing.  He  had 
no  chance  to  earn  any  money,  with  which  to 
improve  his  diet,  or  he  would  have  done  so. 
More  than  this,  he  was  laboring  under  the  belief 
that  his  uncle's  treatment  of  him  was  a  personal 
outrage  —  for  this  young  man  of  seventeen  was 
heir  of  over  twenty  thousand  dollars,  left  him 
by  his  father,  which  yielded  an  income  of 
at  least  twelve  hundred  a  year.  He  had  been 
an  only  child,  and  his  j)arents  had  both  died 
when  he  was  quite  young.  The}^  had  lived  in 
another  part  of  the  state ;  and  though  the  boy's 
mother  was  Fox  BushweU's  sister,  neither  she 
nor  her  husband  seemed  to  have  fathomed  his 
meanness,  for  Mr.  Willingood  had  made  him  the 
executor  of  his  will,  the  trustee  of  his  property, 
and   the   guardian   of  the    child.     A   more   unfit 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  41 

person  could  not  possibly  have  been  selected  for 
either  of  these  charges. 

In  justice  to  Prince's  father,  it  should  be  said 
that  Fox  Bushwell  had  been  growing-  meaner, 
more  sordid,  and  more  dishonest  every  day  for 
the  last  dozen  years,  or  since  the  deatli  of  his 
wife,  Avho  was  a  good  w^oman,  and  exercised  a 
salutary  influence  over  him.  For  a  couple  of 
years  after  Prince  was  brought  to  the  house  of 
his  uncle,  the  child  had  the  kindly  care  of  Mrs. 
Bushwell ;  but  after  '  her  death  he  had  really 
been  alone  in  the  world,  till  he  made  friends  for 
himself  outside  of  his  cold  and  comfortless  home. 
By  the  terms  of  his  father's  will  he  was  to 
receive  the  best  education  the  town  and  High 
Schools  could  afford ;  and  this  was  doubtless  the 
only  reason  why  he  was  permitted  to  attend 
school  up  to  the  age  of  seventeen. 

Prince  looked  at  the  dinner  on  the  table,  and 
rebelled  against  it.  Perhaps  it  were  better  to 
eat  salt  fish  for  dinner  for  the  fourth  time  that 
week  than  to  go  hungry  ;  and  if  that  had  been 
the  alternative,  he  would  have  eaten  it.  As  it 
was,  he  would  not. 

*'  Have  you  anything  else  for  my  dinner,  Mrs. 


42  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

Pining  ?  "  Prince  began,  as  gently   as  he   could. 

"  Lud  a  massy  !  What  a  world  of  trouble  we 
live  in  !  Ain't  that  enough  for  you  ?  "  demanded 
the  amazed  housekeeper. 

"  Pm  tired  of  salt  fish,  especially  when  the 
potatoes  are  all  burned  up,  and  the  gravy  is 
nothing  but  water,"  replied  Prince. 

"What  bn  airth  are  we  comin'  to?" 

"  Coming  to  dinner,  I  hope.  No  more  salt 
fish  for  me  —  at  least  not  more  than  once  a 
week." 

"  This  is  a  world  of  sin  and  sorrow,"  groaned 
the  widow  Pining.  "  We  are  all  dyin',  perishin' 
mortals,  and  can't  eat  salt  fish!" 

"  I  can't  eat  any  more  of  it,"  said  Prince,  as 
he  took  a  butcher-knife  from  the  tray,  and 
passed  out  into  the  back  room. 

"What  on  airth's  got  into  the  boy?"  moaned 
Mrs.  Pining.     "Is  he  goin'  to  kill  hisself?" 

She  followed  the  desperate  young,  man.  But 
Prince  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of  committing 
suicide.  He  was  too  sensible  a  fellow  to  do 
anything  of  the  kind.  Probably  he  would  not 
have  thought  of  refusing  to  eat  the  salt  fish,  if 
he  had  not   known   of  something   better   to   do. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  43 

Late  ill  the  fall  of  the  year  before,  Fox  Bush- 
well  had  killed  a  liog,  which  he  had  kept  in 
defiance  of  the  public  sentiment  of  this  localit}^ 
and  of  the  public  health.  He  had  sold  all  tlie 
best  part  of  it,  except  the  ]iam,  wliich  hiin^  i:i 
the  back  room,  smoked  and  ready  fur  u;L;e.  V/hy 
he  had  kept  it  he  could  not  liave  told  if  lie  IkuI 
-been  pressed  for  an  answer.  Certainly  lie  had 
not  meant  to  eat  it  himself,  or  to  permit  tlic 
other  members  of  his  family  to  do  so ;  at  least 
he  had  not  allowed  any  sucli  extra vag'ance  so  far, 
and  it  was  contrary  to  his  nature  to  do  it  in 
the  future. 

Prince  jumped  upon  a  wash-bench,  and  took 
the  ham  from  its  roost  on  the  nail.  He  laid  it 
upon  the  bench,  and  felt  of  the  edge  of  the 
knife.  Doubtless  his  mouth  watered  as  he 
thouccht  of  making"  his  dinner  from  such  a 
savory  dish  as  fried  ham.  He  had  no  remem- 
brance of  ever  having  tasted  such  a  luxury  at 
home,  though  he  had  several  times  cooked  and 
eaten  it  on  board  the  yachts,  when  he  had  prac- 
ticed the  culinary  art  under  the  instruction  of 
Morris  Hollinghead,  the  most  celebrated  cook  in 
the  fleet. 


44  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  What  on  airtli  are  you  goiii'  to  do,  Prince 
Willingood  ? "  cried  Mrs.  Pining,  amazed  and 
liorrified  at  the  actions  of  the  young  man. 

"  I'm  going  to  liavc  some  dinner,"  replied  he, 
a?s  coolly  as  lie  could  speak,  at  the  same  time 
cutting  off  a  slice  of  the  liam. 

"But,  stop!  World  of  sin  and  sorrer  !  What 
will  your  uncle  say  ?  '' 

"  He  can  say  anything  he  pleases.  I'm  going 
to  have  some  dinner  for  once  in  my  life,  if  I 
have  to  fight  for  it ;  "  and  Prince  cut  off  another 
of  the  small  slices. 

"  Heavens  and  airth !  INIr.  Bushwell  will  kill 
you,  and  kill  me,  too,  if  I  don't  stop  this  shame- 
ful waste." 

"Don't  you  meddle.  I  do  it  myself;  and  I 
don't  ask  you  even  to  look  on.  If  you  inter- 
fere, I  shall  fight  —  that's  all." 

"  Lud  sakes  alive !  I'm  a  poor  creeter,  in  a 
dyin',  perishing  world  !  " 

"  That's  so,"  added  Prince  ;  and  he  continued 
to  cut  off  the  small  slices  till  he  thought  he  had 
enough ;  and  most  people  would  have  thought 
lie  was  getting  up  a  dinner  for  four. 

Then  he  proceeded  to   trim   off  the   slices   till 


'     THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  45 

they  were  clean  and  nice,  as  lie  used  to  prepare 
them  on  board  of  the  yachts. 

"It's  wicked,  Prince,  in  this  sufferin',  dyin' 
Avorld,  to  waste  all  that  good  bacon.  What  do 
yon  cut  all  that  off  for?"  asked  the  house- 
keeper. 

"  That's  the  way  to  fix  it." 

"  No,  'tain't.     You  waste  more'n  half  on't." 

"  I  can't  help  it.  That  dirty,  black  outside 
isn't  fit  to  eat." 

"  In  all  my  born  days,  I  never  seed  nobody 
so  diffikilt.     What's  the  world  comin'  to  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  it's  comino;  to.  I  don't 
know  that  I  care." 

"  What  will  your  uncle  say?  " 

"  You  know  what  he  will  say,  and  so  do  I ; 
but  I'm  ready  to  face  the  music,"  added  Prince, 
as  he  threw  the  slices  into  a  spider  that  hung 
in  the  back  room. 

Taking  an  armful  of  wood  and  the  cookinsr 
utensil,  he  returned  to  the  kitchen.  Starting  up 
the  fire,  he  prepared  for  still  more  active  oper- 
ations, watched  all  the  time  by  the  housekeeper. 
In  a  few  moments  the  ham  was  hissing  and  siz- 
zling in  the    spider,    sending    forth    a    rich    odor, 


4G  THE    DOnCAS    CLUB. 

such  as  had  not  ghiddened    the   interior   of   Fox 
Bushwell's  lioiKsc  for  many  a  year. 

"We  arc  all  goin'  to  perdition!"  sighed  the 
v/idow  Pining. 

"  If  we  are,  Fm  going  on  a  full  stomach," 
replied  Prince,  as  he  turned  the  ham,  which 
caused  it  to  redouble  its  music. 

"  You  will  be  the  ruin  of  us  all,  Prince. 
This  dyin',  sufferin'  world  is  no  jDlace  for  such 
folks  as  3"ou  be.  Your  aj^petite  will  be  the 
death  of  you." 

"I'm  afraid  it  will,  if  I  don't  do  somethincf 
to  satisfy  it." 

"  Prince  wanted  to  go  to  the  closet  and  get 
some  cold  potatoes  to  fry  with  the  ham,  for  he 
knew  there  must  be  some  there  for  the  fish-hash 
the  next  morning,  which  as  surely  followed  the 
salt  fish  dinner  as  the  rising  follows  the  setting 
sun  ;  but  he  was  afraid,  if  he  left  his  dinner, 
the  hoiisekceper  Avould  carry  it  off.  However, 
to  prevent  such  a  catastrophe,  he  bore  the 
spider  to  the  closet  with  him,  and  there  sliced 
into  it  three  or  four  good-sized  potatoes. 

"  Lud  sakes,"  groaned  Mrs.  Pining ;  "  there'll 
be  nothing  for  breakfast  in  the  house,  if  you  use 
up  all  them  potaters." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  47 

"  '  Sufficient  unto  the  clay  is  the  evil  thereof," 
replied  Prince,  as  he  dished  up  the  ham,  and 
proceeded  to  cook  the  potatoes. 

In  a  few  moments  they  were  done,  and  the 
hungry  young  man  sat  down  at  the  table,  with 
the  savory  dinner  before  him.  The  thought  of 
the  consequences  of  his  rash  deed  did  not  seem 
to  diminish  his  appetite,  and  he  ate  like  one 
who  had  not  tasted  food  for  twenty-four  hours, 
which  was  almost  literally  the  case  with  him. 
The  widow  Pining  was  too  much  excited  to  sit 
down,  and  she  stood  by  the  table,  her  face  the 
very  picture  of  horror  and  dismay,  while  Prince 
devoured  slice  after  slice  of  the  ham,  and  half 
after  half  of  the  potatoes.  Doubtless  he  ate  all 
he  could ;  but  he  was  not  quite  able  to  "  pun- 
ish"  all  he  had  cooked. 

"  I  feel  better,"  said  he,  rising  from  the  table. 
"  I  will  finish  what  there  is  left  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  you'd  be  able  to  go.  Suf- 
ferin'  and  dyin'  world !  To  think  what  a  lot 
of  that  nice  bacon  you've  wasted !  I  know  your 
uncle  was  goin'  to  sell  it,"  added  the  house- 
keeper.    "Well,  it's  a  wicked  world  we  live  in.' 


48  THE    DOKGAS    CLUB. 

Therfe  ain't  no  such  thing  as  gratitude  in't.  I 
didn't  think  you'd  do  sech  a  thing  as  steal  that 
bacon,  and  waste  sech  a  lot  on't  too ' " 

"  I  saved  my  hacon ;  that's  the  whole  of  it, 
Mrs.  Pining." 

-At  that  moment  the  fi'ont  door  opened,  and 
the  step  of  Fox  Bush  well  was  heard  and  recog- 
nized. 

"Now  you'll  ketch  it,  Prince  Willingood ! " 
said  the  housekeeper,  in  a  low  and  impressive 
tone. 

"  I'm  ready,"  answered  the  young  man,  as  he 
strained  up  his  nerves  to  meet  the  onslaught. 

Fox  Bushwell  came  into  the  kitchen  at  once. 
He  came  snuffing  with  his  peaked  nose,  as  though 
he  smelt  something.  Perhaps  he  "  smelt  a  rat," 
as  well  as  fried  ham. 

"  What's  this  smell  all  over  the  house  ? "  he 
demanded,  in  his  whining,  high  treble  voice. 

At  that  moment  his  eyes  rested  on  the  rem- 
nants of  Prince's  feast  on  the  table,  and  his 
thin,  hatchety  face  contracted  into  an  agglom- 
eration of  frowns,  which  were  intended  to  anni- 
hilate the  woe-begone  housekeeper,  to  whom  his 
glance  was  directed. 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  49 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    BATTLE    FOUGHT   AND    WON. 

MR.  FOX  BUSHWELL  was  fifty-five  years 
old,  but  he  was  thin,  gray,  and  wrinkled 
enough  to  be  seventy-five.  From  the  force  of 
habit  rather  than  in  deference  to  the  decencies  of 
life,  he  shaved  his  furrowed  face  twice  a  week, 
leaving  the  wiry  white  beard  under  his  chin  and 
beneath  his  jaws.  His  hair,  of  the  same  color, 
was  generally  ver}^  long,  because  it  cost  money 
to  cut  it,  since  the  removal  to  distant  parts  of 
a  cousin,  who  used  to  do  the  job  gratuitously,  with 
the  sheep-shears.  We  do  not  like  to  say  it,  but 
this  man  had  formerly  been  a  preacher.  He  had 
picked  up  education  enough  to  enable  him  to 
ol)tain  a  license.  He  had  been  regularly  settled 
in  a  small  place ;  but  a  pastorate  of  two  years 
had  convinced  his  people  that  the  Rev.  Fox 
Bushwell  had  missed  his  calling;  that  his  piety 
4 


50  THE    DOKCAS    CLtTC. 

* 

was  a  pretence,  and  his  life  a  mockery  of  his 
preaching. 

For  a  few  years  more  he  supphed  vacant  pul- 
pits as  occasion  offered  ;  but  then  his  father  died, 
and  left  him  ten  thousand  dollars,  a  like  sum 
passing  to  his  only  sister.  Prince's  mother.  He 
already  owned  the  small  house  in  which  he 
lived,  and  the  large  lot  of  land  on  which  it 
stood.  This  territory  he  sold  in  small  parcels, 
as  the  growth  of  the  city  increased  the  value  of 
the  lots.  Events  led  him  to  become  a  money- 
lender. He  would  sell  a  lot,  and  advance  money 
to  the  purchaser  to  build  a  house  upon  it,  taking 
a  mortgage  on  the  whole  for  security.  He  was 
a  hard  man,  and  scrupled  not  to  take  advantage 
of  the  needy,  extorting  extravagant  interest,  and 
taking  possession  of  mortgaged  property  upon 
the  slightest  failure  to  comply  wtih  the  condi- 
tions. It  cost  him  next  to  nothing  to  live,  for 
he  believed  that  money  spent  upon  the  body  was 
wasted. 

The  patrimony  of  his  nephew  enlarged  his  cap- 
ital upon  which  to  speculate  on  the  wants  of 
the  needy;  and,  though  he  made  it  pay  eight, 
ten,  or  twelve  per    cent.,  he  returned  only  legaJ 


THE    DOnCAS    CLUB.  51 

interest  on  his  accounts.  As  a  moan  man  becomes 
meaner  as  he  grows  older,  Fox  Bushwell,  when 
lie  Avas  fifty,  was  a  miser,  a  skinflint,  an  extor- 
tionist, and  a  thief.  This  was  simply  describing 
him  as  he  was,  and  as  we  knew  him  —  for  he 
is  not  a  fancy  sketch.  He  had  sold  some  of  the 
houses  in  his  street  two  or  three  times,  for  non- 
payment of  interest  or  principal.  Of  course  he 
was  generally  hated  and  despised  by  those  who 
had  any  dealings  with  him. 

At  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  had  procured  the 
seryices  of  Mrs.  Pining  as  housekeeper.  She 
was  not  much  more  than  half-witted,  but  she 
had  loaned  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  her  em- 
plo3-er, — her  dowry  from  her  late  husband's 
estate,  — ^  the  interest  of  which  was  her  only 
income,  for  Fox  Bushwell  paid  her  no  wages. 
The  x>oor  woman  was  as  credulous  as  she  was 
simple,  and  had  been  kept  in  her  place  by 
mingled  hope  and  fear.  She  had  somehow  ob- 
tained the  notion  that  the  money-lender  intended 
to  marry  her.  Doubtless  something  to  this  effect 
had  been  said  by  him  ;  at  any  rate,  he  was  care- 
ful to  keep  alive  the  delusion.  This  was  her 
hope ;  and  she    feared   if    she   left   her   situation 


52  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

her  tyrant  would  cheat  her  out  of  her  little  for- 
tune, thus  leaving  her  a  hegger  in  "  this  suf- 
ferin',  djin'  world."  This  woman,  with  her 
hopes  and  fears,  had  had  the  principal  care  of 
Prince  Willingood  from  his  childhood. 

The  property  of  the  young  man  was  charged 
five  dollars  a  week  for  his  board ;  and  this  sum 
more  than  paid  the  whole  living  expenses  of  the 
family.  Fox  Bushwell  purchased  his  clothing, 
which  was  of  the  plainest  and  homeliest  quality. 
Altogether  the  young  man's  expenses  were  not 
more  than  four  hundred  a  year,  leaving  a  sur- 
plus of  twice  that  amount  from  his  income.  Not 
till  just  before  his  introduction  to  the  reader  had 
Prince  considered  Ids  financial  relations  to  his 
uncle.  In  fact  he  knew  nothing  about  them  till 
by  diligent  inquiry  he  obtained  the  information, 
with  the  assistance  of  friends,  from  the  records 
of  the  Probate  Court.  As  has  been  stated  before, 
he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  en- 
titled to  fare  better  than  he  did,  and  even  to 
have  an  occasional  dollar  for  pocket  money, 
as  other  boys  of  his  age  had. 

Fox  Bushwell  stood  in  the  kitchen,  gazing  at 
the  remnants  of  his  ward's  dinner.     The  odor  of 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  53 

fried  ham  was  as  much  unknown'  in  that  house 
as  though  its  inmates  had  been  true  followers 
of  Mohammed,  the  propliet  of  Islam.  The  skin- 
flint was  amazed  and  horrified,  and  turned  his 
gaze  to  Mrs.  Pining. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  he  demanded,  in 
the  husky  tones  he  might  have  used  if  a  mur- 
der had  been  committed  in  his  house. 

"  'Tain't  none  of  my  doin's,"  pleaded  the 
housekeeper.  "  Look  here,  Mr.  Bushwell ;  "  and 
she  led  the  way  to  the  back  room,  where  she 
pointed  with  horror,  and  in  significant  silence, 
at  the  leg  of  ham  lying  on  the  wash-bench,  just 
as  Prince  had  left  it,  with  the  rind  and  parings 
at  its  side. 

"Who  cut  that  ham?"  growled  the  miser. 

"  Sufferin',  dyin'  world  knows  I  hadn't  nothin' 
to  do  with  it,"  groaned  Mrs.  Pining. 

"Who  did  it,  then?" 

The  widow  Pining  pointed  silently  in  the 
direction  of  the  kitchen,  whither  Fox  Bushwell 
instantly  returned. 

"  Did  you  cut  that  ham,  Prince  ?  "  he  demanded, 
with  a  scowl  which  only  a  mortal  sin  ought  to 
have  conjured  upon  a  human  face. 


54  THE    DORCAS    Ci.UB. 

"I  did,"  replied  Prince,  squarely. 

"  You  did?" 

Prince  nodded. 

"What  made  you  do  it?"  continued  the 
guardian,  confounded  by  the  coolness  and  self- 
possession  of  the  young  man. 

"  I  wanted  some  dinner." 

"Dinner!  Didn't  you  have  your  dinner  of 
salt  fish  and  potatoes,  as  I  did?" 

"  Sufferin',  dj'in'  world !  He  had  just  the  same 
as  the  rest  on  ns,"  added  Mrs.  Pining.  "  I  kept 
his  dinner  for  him,  as  I  allers  does  ;  and  it  was 
good  strong  victuals  for  anybody,  and  enough 
on't." 

"  It  was  strong  of  bad  butter,  I  grant,"  replied 
Prince.  "  I  am  so  tired  of  salt  fish  that  I  can't 
eat  any  more  of  it.  I  have  tried  to  eat  it ;  but 
I  can't  stand  it  any  longer." 

"You  can't?"  gasped  Fox  Bush  well. 

"  No,  sir,  I  cannot.  It  is  salt  fish  for  break- 
fast and  salt  fish  for  dinner  more  than  half  the 
time  ;  and  when  it  isn't  salt  fish,  it  is  smoked 
herring  or  baked  beans.  The  poorest  common 
laborer  in  the  city  lives  better  than  I  do,  and 
better  than  you  do,  uncle  Fox." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  55 

"Don't  you  have  enough  to  eat" 

"  I  don't  complain  so  much  of  the  quantity  as 
I  do  of  the  quahty.  It  don't  matter  how  much 
there  is  on  the  table,  when  it  is  so  poor  that  I 
can't  eat   it." 

"  Indeed  !  Has  it  come  to  this  ?  "  said  the 
uncle,    severely. 

"  It  has  come  to  this.  M3-  dinner  to-day  was 
salt  fish,  with  potatoes  cooked  to  a  chip,  with 
drawn  butter  mostly  water,  but  so  strong  at  that 
I  could  not  bear  the  smell,  much  less  the  taste, 
of  it,"  continued  Prince,  calmly.  "  For  break- 
fast I  had  a  thin  smoked  herring,  so  salt  and 
strong  I  could  not  eat  it.  I  had  hardly  tasted 
anything  since  dinner  yesterday,  when  I  came 
into  the  house  this  afternoon." 

"  You  are  getting  dainty,"  sneered  Fox  Bush- 
well. 

"  I  don't  think  I  am.  But  whether  I  am  or 
not,  I  shall  stand  this  tiling  no  longer.' 

"You   won't?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  We'U  see." 

"  Both  of  us  will  see." 

There  was  something:  in  the  tone  and  manner 


c6  THE   DOKCAS    CLU13. 

of  the  young  man  which  made  an  impression  on 
the  miser. 

"  And  yon  cut  that  ham  which  I  have  been 
saving  all  winter  ?  "  he   added. 

"I  did." 

"  Is  that  ham  yours  ?  " 

"  While  it  is  in  the  house  where  I  board  I 
claim  an  interest   in  it." 

"  You've  got  to  eat  what's  set  before  you ;  and 
you  haven't  any  right  to  touch  anything  else. 
That  ham  belongs  to  me,  and  when  you  took  it 
you  stole  it,"  said  Fox  Bushwell,  warmly  and 
sternly. 

"  I  should  like  to  be  taken  up  for  stealing  it, 
I  should  like  to  tell  the  justice  all  about  it,  and 
read  to  him  our  bill  of  fare  for  any  week  in 
the  year,"  replied  Prince.  "  We  might  as  well 
have  this  matter  understood  now.  You  receive 
five  dollars  a  week  for    my  board 

"Who  told  you  that?"  demanded  the  guar- 
dian, evidently  startled  by  the  statement. 

"  I  got  it  from  good  authority." 

"  I  can  charge  anything  I  please,  and  the 
judge  can  allow  it  or  not,  just  a  he  likes." 

"  Five  dollars  a  week  is  the  price  you  said 
you  should  charge.     I  can  j^rove  this.' 


THE   DOECAS   CLUB.  57 

'  Well,  it's  cheap  for  taking  care  of  a  boy, 
and  looking  after  his  washing  and  mending,  his 
manners  and  his  morals. 

"  Never  mind  the  manners  or  the  morals.  It 
don't  cost  you  much  to  attend  to  them.  For 
the  sum  I  pay,  I  am  entitled  to  as  good  board 
as  mechanics  and  laborers  have  at  the  same 
price.  If  you  will  pay  my  board  in  a  sailor's 
boarding-house,  I  will  be  satisfied." 

"  I  shall  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  protested 
Fox  Bushwell.  "  I  give  you  enough  to  eat,  and 
that  which  is  good  enough." 

"I  don't  think  so  ;  and  something  must  be  done 
about  it." 

"You  want  to  run  away  —  do  you?" 

"No,  sir,  I  do  not.  I  have  no  intention  of 
running  away." 

Fox  Bushwell  wished  he  would  run  away,  and 
never  return;  it  would  simplify  his  accounts  as 
trustee  of  the  boy's  property. 

"  You  live  as  Avell  as  I  do ;  and  what's  good 
enough  for  me  is  good  enough  for  you." 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  I  don't  care  what  you  think.  But  what  I 
have  in  the  house  hereafter,  I  shall  keep  under 
lock  and  key." 


58  THE   DOr.CAS    CLUB. 

"  iNIy  fatlier  left  twenty  thousand  dollars  to 
me,  in  your  cave.  By  tins  time,  taking  out  all 
my  expense,  it  ought  to  be  at  least  thirty  thou- 
sand, at  simple  interest,  six  per  cent.  My  income 
to-day  ought  to  be  eighteen  hundred  dollars  ; 
and  I  have  to  live,  week  in  and  week  out,  year 
in  and  year  out,  on  salt  fish,  smoked  herring, 
baked  beans,  brown  bread,  and  strong  butter." 

"  The  living  is  good  enough  for  me,  and  so  it 
is  for  you,"  muttered  the  uncle,  amazed  to  find 
that  his  ward  knew  something  about  his  own 
finances. 

"  We  differ ;  and  as  the  income  of  my  prop- 
erty is  eighteen  hundred  dollars  a  year,  I  insist 
on  something  better,  whether  I  have  it  in  this 
house,  or  some  other.  More  than  this,  being 
seventeen  years  old,  I  want  a  little  money  to 
spend  mj^self.' 

"  You  do  !  "  exclaimed  Fox  Bushwell,  aghast  at 
such  unheard-of  impudence. 

"  I  do.      As  the   matter   stands   now,    I    can't 
buy  a  sheet  of  paper,  a  pencil,  or  a  book." 
"  I  have  bought  all  those  things  for  you." 
"You  refused  to  buy  four   books   for  me   the 
other  day,  wlien  I  asked  for  them.' 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  hd 

"  Yoli  didn't  need  them." 

"  I  wanted  them,  and  I  think  I  am  able  to 
own  those,  and  many  more." 

"  I  can't  countenance  no  such  extravagance. 
It  isn't  necessary  for  you  to  own  books  of  his- 
tory." 

'"  We  differ,  and  I  may  as  well  come  to  the 
point.  I  am  going  to  live  decently  —  I  mean  as 
well  as  laborers  and  sailors  live.  If  my  break- 
fast to-morrow  morning  should  be  salt  fish,  or 
herring,  or  baked  beans,  I  shall  get  my  meal  at 
the  eating-house,  and  have  it  charged  to  you  as 
my  guardian." 

"I  won't  pay  it!"  protested  Fox  BushwelL 

"  Perhaps  you  will  in  the  end.  At  any  rate, 
Hoxley  says  he  will  take  his  chances  of  collect- 
ing the  bill." 

"  Have  3^ou  been  telling  Hoxley  that  you 
havn't  lived  well  enough  at  home  ?  "  demanded 
the   guardian,   angrily. 

"  Sufferin',  dyin'  world  I  "  ejaculated  Mrs.  Pin- 
ing, moved  deeply  by  this  new  aspect  of  the 
case. 

"  It  was  not  necessary  to  tell  him  or  anybody 
else  that  we  live  worse  than  the   Irish  laborers. 


60  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

Everybody  knows  it.  In  the  second  place,  1 
want  an  allowance  of  ten  dollars  a  month,  for  the 
present,  to  purchase  books  and  other  things  that 
I  need." 

"  Ten  dollars  a  month!  Are  you  crazy, 
Prince?"  cried  Fox  Bushwell.  "Ten  dollars  a 
month  to  a  boy  of  your  age !  I  didn't  think 
you  could  be  impudent  enough  to  ask  for  more 
than  twenty-five  cents  a  month,  at  the  out- 
side." 

"  Ten  dollars  I  ask  for,  and  ten  dollars  I  shall 
have,  besides  decent  board." 

"  The  boy's  insane  !  " 

"  Sufferin',  dyin'  world  ! "  groaned  the  widow. 

"  It's  no  use  for  you  and  me  to  argue  the 
point ;  we  can  never  agree." 

"  Never !  You  won't  get  any  ten  dollars  a 
month  out  of  me,  nor  ten  dollars  a  year.  That's 
the  wa}^  to  spoil  boj's." 

"And  the  board,  as  the  allowance,  is  denied? 
Shall  I  be  fed  as  well  as  common  sailors  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  going  to  have  any  extravagance  in 
my  house." 

"Very  well,  uncle  Fox;  it  is  my  next  move," 
replied  Prince,  rising  from  his  chair. 


THE    DOECAS    CLUB.  61 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  the 
guardian,  evidently  much  troubled  by  the  con- 
duct of  the  boy. 

"  I  don't  know  that  it  is  necessary  for  me  to 
tell  you  ;  but  I'm  going  to  do  something  imme- 
diately." 

"Humph!  What  can  you  do?  I'm  your 
guardian." 

"  I  know  you  are ;  but  you  may  not  always 
be." 

"  What !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  that  in  this  free  country  a 
boy  who  has,  or  ought  to  have,  an  income  of 
eighteen  hundred  dollars  a  year,  can  be  legally 
starved,  or  half  starved,  and  deprived  of  the 
common  comforts  of  life,  uncle  Fox !  I  don't 
believe  it.  I  don't  believe  that  I  can  even  be 
deprived  of  the  luxury  of  books.  I'm  rich  enough 
to  board  at  the  best  hotel  in  the  city ;  but  I  ask 
only  plain  food." 

Fox  Bushwell  drew  a  long  breath,  and  perhaps 
his  thin  face  was  a  shade  paler  than  usual, 
though  that  was   hardly  possible. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  to  do,"  whined 
he,  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of  any  possible  action 
on  the  part  of  the  boy  or  his  friends. 


62  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  I  haven't  talked  about  this  matter  much  out 
of  the  house  ;  my  pride  would  not  let  me  do 
that.  I  don't  want  to  make  any  trouble  now  ; 
but  I  won't  stand  this  state  of  things  much 
longer.     No,  sir,  I  will  not." 

"•  Things  have  gone  on  just  as  the}^  always 
did  ;  and  I  didn't  know  there  was  any  trouble." 

"  Very  well,  uncle  ;  if  you  are  disposed  to  do 
the  right  thing  by  me,  the  matter  need  go  no 
farther,"  added   Prince,  gently. 

"  But  ten  dollars  a  month  to  spend  I "  gasped 
the  guardian. 

"  For  books  and  other  things  I  need.  I  don't 
smoke,  chew,  drink  rum,  or  play  cards ;  and 
not  a  cent  of  the  money  will  be  improperly 
used." 

"  It  would  spoil  you." 

"I  don't  think  so.  I  am  old  enough  to  know 
how  to  use  a  small  sum  of  money." 

"  If  you  don't  drink  or  smoke,  it's  because 
you  never  had  any  money  to  pay  for  cigars  and 
rum." 

"  We  won't  argue  the  matter  on  such  a  basis. 
If  you  have  nothing  else  to  say,  I  shall  take  the 
next  step." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  63 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded  Fox  Bush- 
well,   anxiously. 

Prince  considered  a  moment,  and  then  took 
from  his  pocket  a  paper,  which  he  handed  to 
his  guardian. 

"  Wliat's  this  ?  "  said  the  uncie. 

"  It  will  speak  for   itself." 

Fox  Bush  well  put  on  his  spectacles,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  read  the  document.  As  he  did  so,  his 
lip  quivered  and  his  frame  trembled.  Probably 
the  paper  was  not  in  legal  form,  but  it  was  a 
petition  to  the  judge  of  the  probate  court,  set- 
ting forth  that  the  petitioner's  guardian  —  Fox 
Bush  well  —  had  become  evidently  unsuitable  to 
discharge  the  duties  of  the  position,  requesting 
his  removal,  and  tlie  appointment  of  some  proper 
person  in  his  place.  The  petitioner  then  pro- 
ceeded to  specify  in  detail  that  he  was  deprived 
of  the  ordinary  comforts  of  life  ;  that  he  was 
compelled  to  subsist  almost  wholly  upon  salt 
fish,  baked  beans,  and  smoked  herrings  ;  that  he 
Avas  clothed  with  the  coarsest  garments,  much 
inferior  to  those  worn  by  persons  of  his  income, 
and  he  was  denied  the  privilege  of  purchasing 
any  books  or  newspapers  needed  for   the   proper 


64  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

cultivation  of  his  mind,  while  the  property  in 
the  hands  of  his  guardian  yielded,  or  ought  to 
yield,  an  income  of  eighteen  hundred  dollars  a 
year. 

"You  villain!  What  do  you  mean  to  do  with 
this  paper?"  gasped  the  guardian,  trembling  in 
every  fibre  of  his  frame. 

"  I  intend  to  present  it  to  the  court,"  replied 
Prince,   quietly. 

"You  do?" 

"  I  do,  sir.  I  don't  mean  to  strike  for  liberty 
and  decent  living  on  my  own  hook.  I  am  will- 
ing to  leave  the  whole  matter  to  the  judge.  I 
am  willing  to  submit  to  him,  and  to  the  guar- 
dian he  appoints.  If  he  says  it  is  all  right  as 
it  is,  I  have  nothing  more  to  say." 

"Do  you  mean  to  give  this  to  the  judge?"" 

"  Of  course  I  do,  if  I  can't  have  fair  play 
without  doing  so." 

Fox  Bushwell  was  furious  for  the  moment, 
and  tearing  the  paper  into  a  hundred  pieces,  he 
threw  them  into  the  stove. 

"  We'll  see  if  you  will,"  gasped  he. 

"  That  was  only  a  co23y  of  the  petition,"  added 
Prince,  mildly. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  (J-!) 

The  guardian  cooled  off  again,  realizing  that 
he  was  utterly  helpless  against  the  strong-minded 
young  man,  who  seemed  to  act  with  a  conscious- 
ness that  boys  have  rights. 

"  Don't  do  anything  rash,  Prince,"  said  he. 
"  I  will  think  over  what   you  have  said." 

"  You  may  think  over  it  till  next  Monday 
morning.  The  court  meets  in  the  afternoon  ; 
and  my  paper  goes  in  then,  if  at  all,"  replied 
Prince. 

Fox  Bushwell  went  into  the  front  room,  where 
he  paced  the  apartment  for  liours,  thinking  over 
the  situation.  Prince  spent  the  evening  in  the 
kitchen,  studying  his  lessons.  When  he  got  up, 
rather  later  than  usual,  the  next  morning,  the 
grateful  odor  of  fried  ham  saluted  his  senses, 
and  he  was  almost  willing  to  believe  that  he 
had  won  the  battle.  For  his  dinner  that  day, 
he  was  rather  surprised  to  see  some  fried  mutton 
set'  before  him.  It  was  cheap  and  poor  meat,  it 
is  true  ;  but  it  was  a  luxury  to  him. 

On   Monday  morning    his    uncle    gave    him  a 

ten-dollar  bill ;  but  he  did  it  with  groanings  and 

reproaches.       Prince    took  the    bill,  and  enclosed 

it  in  the  white   envelope    which   MolHe   had  in- 

5 


66  THE.  DORCAS    CLUB. 

trusted  to  his  keeping,  and  carefully  sealed  it. 
At  school  that  day,  she  handed  it  to  the  treas- 
urer, without  suspecting  that  there  was  any- 
thing but  the  circular  in  it.  She  did  not  even 
ask  Prince  why  he  had  sealed  it  ;  she  did  not 
think  enough  about  it  to  do  so. 

"  But  the.  envelopes  are  to  be  handed  in  at  the 
meeting  to-morrow,"  said  Nellie  Patterdale,  the 
treasurer. 

"  Please  to  take  it  now,  for  I  may  not  be  at 
the  meeting,"  replied  MoUie. 

"■  O,  very  Avell,  if  you  desire  it ;  but  I  hope 
you  will  be  there." 

"I  shall  try  to  be  present." 

But  she  was  not. 

Great  events  occurred  on  that  particular  Mon- 
day, and  on  Tuesday  Mollie  did  not  even  think 
of  the  meeting.  Poor  girl!  she  had  enough  else 
to  think  of. 

Ie.  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Mr.  Longimore, 
lie  cashier,  called  upon  Fox  Bushwell.  Even 
ihe  hard-visaged  miser  saw  that  he  was  in  the 
deepest  distress. 

"  Mr.  Bushwell,  I  am  in  trouble,  and  I  must 
raise  some  money  before  to-morrow  morning,  or 
be  ruined,"  said  the  cashier,  with  emotion. 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  67 

"Ruined!  What's  the  matter?"  asked  the 
money-lender,  willing,  as  usual,  to  profit  by 
whatever  misfortune  had  overtaken  his  neighbor. 

"I  am  in  the  most  abject  misery  to  which 'a 
man  was  ever  reduced,"  groaned  Mr.  Longimore. 

"Eh?  Been  using  the  money  of  the  bank?" 
added  the  miser,  looking  over  the  top  of  his 
glasses. 

"  I  have  overdraAvn  my  account.  I  have  not 
stolen  anything.  I  have  not  altered  the  books, 
but  have  charged  myself  every  dollar  I  have 
taken.  I  must  have  five  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars  to  balance  my  account,  or  I  shall  lose  my 
situation.  The  directors  make  an  examination 
to-morrow." 

"That's  bad." 

"  You  have  the  money  in  the  bank,  and  you 
will  lend  it  to  me  ?  " 

"Without  security?" 

"  Take  my  house,  my  furniture,  everything, 
if  I  can  save  my  honor,"  pleaded  Mr.  Longi- 
more. 

"  I've  got  all  the  mortgage  on  the  house  I 
want ;  and  I've  got  to  go  away  now." 

"  I  will  pay  you  any  interest  you  want.     Only 


68  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

lend  it  to  me  for  a  few  days,  and  I  will  appeal 
to  my  brother  in  Portland  for  help ;  he  will  save 
me  from  ruin,  I    know." 

"  I  can't  stop  now  to  talk  about  it.  I  will 
see  you  this  evening,"  said  Fox  Bushwell,  rising 
from  his  chair. 

"I  will  come  here — " 

"  Well,  no,  I  guess  not,"  interposed  the 
money-lender.  '*  My  boy  will  be  in  the  house 
then  ;  and  he  is  always  sure  to  know  what's  go- 
ing on." 

"  Come  to  the  bank,  then  ;  I  will  be  there," 
added  Mr.  Longimore,  earnestly. 

"  I  will  be  there  about  seven  o'clock." 

The  cashier  withdrew ;  and  at  the  hour  ap- 
pointed, Fox  Bushwell  entered  the  bank. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  69 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE   FIRE   AT   FOX   BUSHWELL's   HOUSE. 

MR.  LONGIMORE  was  a  rather  tall  and 
spare  man.  Though  but  five  and  forty 
years  old,  he  Avas  quite  gray,  and  his  expression 
at  this  time  was  very  sad  and  troubled.  He 
had  been  struggling  to  support  his  family  on  a 
small  salary,  and  it  was  apparent  to  him  now, 
if  never  before,  that  he  had  signally  failed. 
Doubtless  he  had  his  faults  and  his  weaknesses  ; 
but  he  had  always  been  regarded  by  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resided  as  a  strictly  honest, 
high-toned,  and  honorable  man.  He  stood  well 
in  the  church,  and  well  in  society;  and  so  far 
as  the  possibilities  of  any  disgraceful  conduct 
were  concerned,  he  was  considered  as  incapable 
of  it  as  any  clergyman  in  the    city. 

Perhaps   it   was  a  misfortune   for    Mr.    Longi- 
more  that  his   position  in   the  bank  brought  him 


70  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

into  contact  with  the  elite  of  the  city  ;  with  the 
prosperous  merchants,  shipbuilders,  and  the 
wealthy  men  who  had  retired  from  business.  He 
was  respected  and  esteemed  by  all,  and  the  cashier 
and  his  family  were,  to  some  extent,  drawn  into 
social  relations  with  the  wealthy  and  refined 
class  of  society.  Without  intending  to  exceed 
his  income  in  his  expenditures,  Mr.  Longimore 
had  unfortunately  been  led  to  do  so,  and  much 
sickness  at  home  had  increased  his  debt.  He 
had  overdrawn  his  salary  at  the  bank ;  but  then 
he  had  faithfully  charged  himself  Avith  every  dol- 
lar he  had  taken,  and  there  was  no  fraud,  or 
even  concealment,  on  his  part.  Mr.  Longimore 
was  a  proud  man,  and  he  could  not  endure  the 
thought  of  seeing  a  frown  upon  the  brows  of 
the  directors  when  they  examined  his  accounts  and 
looked  over  his  securites.  He  could  not  bear  to 
be  censured,  even  mildly,  by  the  men  with  whom 
he  was  on  such  friendly  terms.  He  preferred 
to  throw  himself  into  the  power  of  the  unscru- 
pulous money-lender,  rather  than  make  a  candid 
but  humiliating  statement  to  the  directors,  who 
were  really  his  friends. 

Mr.  Longimore  had  bought  the  house  in  which 


THE   DOBCAS   CLUB.  71 

he  lived  of  Fox  Bushwell,  paying  five  hundred 
dollars  down,  and  giving  a  mortgage  for  twenty- 
five  hundred.  But  the  property  was  supposed 
to  have  increased  in  value,  and  the  cashier  hoped 
to  obtain  the  sum  he  needed  by  a  second  mort- 
gage on  the  house,  or  on  his  personal  effects, 
if  the  money-lender  would  not  advance  him  the 
money  he  wanted  for  a  short  time  without  secu- 
rity. He  had  often  assisted  the  miser  in  tlie 
management  of  his  affairs,  had  examined  his 
bonds,  mortgages,  and  other  papers,  to  insure 
their  correctness,  thus  saving  him  the  expense 
of  legal  fees.  He  had  filed  all  his  papers  for 
him  in  the  nice  and  convenient  form  in  which 
those  of  the  bank  were  arranged,  and  he  felt 
that  he  had  some  claim  to  the  consideration  of 
the  hard  man. 

The  cashier  was  in  the  bank  when  Fox  Bush- 
well  arrived.  He  had  been  cutting  off  the  cou- 
pons of  a  package  of  bonds,  and  was  tying  up 
the  bundle  with  red  tape  when  his  visitor  came 
in.  He  looked  more  worried  and  disturbed  than 
the  money-lender  had  ever  seen   him. 

"  What  have  you  got  there  ?  "  asked  Fox  Bush- 
well. 


72  THE   DOECAS    CLUB. 

"  Bonds ;  the  interest  is  due  to-morrow,  and  I 
have  cut  off  the  coupons,  in  order  to  send  them 
for  collection,"  replied  ]\Ir.  Longimore,  rather 
vacantly.  "  Thought  I  would  do  it  while  I  was 
waiting  for  you,  for  I  shall  be  very  busy  to- 
morrow." 

"  How  much  is  there  in  that  pile  ? "  asked 
the  money-lender,  as  he  seated  himself  at  the 
table  opposite  the  cashier. 

"  Only  forty  thousand  dollars." 

"That's  a  good  deal  of  money,"  added  Fox 
Bush  well  as  he  picked  up  the  package. 

''  I  should  think  it  was  if  it  only  belonged  tome," 
replied  Mr.  Longimore,  with  a  sigh.  "  I  should 
be  a  happy  man  if  I  had  only  a  quarter  of  it. 
I  have  already  told  you  why  I  wish  to  see  you, 
Mr.    Bushwell." 

"Well,  you  have,  but  I  don't  understand  the 
matter  very  well,"  added  the  miser,  still  toying 
with  the  bundle  of  bonds.  "  I  believe  you  said 
you  wanted  to  raise  some  money." 

"  I  must  have  five  hundred  and  twenty  dol- 
lars by  to-morrow  morning,  or  I  am  a  ruined 
man.  I  did  not  know  how  badly  I  stood  with 
the  bank  till  I  balanced  my  account  this  after- 
noon." 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  73 

"I  don't  see  how  we  can  manage  it,"  said 
Fox  Busbwell.  "  Of  course  I  can't  lend  money 
without  security." 

"  I  will  give  you  a  second  mortgage  on  my 
house.  The  equity  in  it  is  worth  a  thousand 
dollars." 

"  I  guess  not,"  drawled  the  Shylock,  with  a 
sickly  smile.  "  I  don't  believe  it  would  fetch 
any  more  than  the  mortgage  under  the  ham- 
mer." 

"  I  am  sure  it  would.  I  have  been  offered 
more  than  I  gave  for  it." 

"  The  place  wouldn't  fetch  it  now,  and  in  a 
year  or  two  it  might  be  worse  than  it  is  now. 
I  don't  like  to  take  too  much  on  any  property. 
I'm  a  poor  man,  and  I  have  to  keep  on  the  safe 
side." 

"  Then  I  will  give  you  a  bill  of  sale  of  my 
household  furniture,  including  the  piano,  worth 
in  all,  at  least  a  thousand  dollars,'*  pleaded  Mr. 
Longimore,  actually  trembling  with  emotion. 

"•I  don't  like  that  kind  of  security,"  replied 
Fox  Bushwell,  shaking  his  head. 

"  But  I  will  write  to  my  brother  in  Portland 
immediately  ;  he  is  able  and  willing   to  help  me 


7-4  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

out  of  this  trouble  ;  and  I  will  return  the  money 
in  a  few  days  with  an  ample  bonus.  I  will  give 
you  fifty  dollars  for  the  use  of  the  sum  I  want 
one  week." 

"Yes;  but  the  security?  If  you  should  die, 
you  know.  We  all  mean  t  ">  be  honest  and  serve 
the  Lord  as  well  as  we  know  how,  but  any  of 
us  may  die." 

"  The  bill  of  sale  of  my  furniture  will  cover 
it,  and  save  you  from  any  possible  loss.  If  I 
should  die,  my  wife  would  pay  the  debt  out  of 
the  proceeds  of  ray  life  insurance,"  continued 
Mr.  Longimore,  desperately,  and  with  the  agony 
which  an  honest,  honorable  man  feels  in  the  face 
of  probable   disgrace. 

"  All  these  things  are  very  uncertain.  I  don't 
like  to  lend  money  without  knowing  whether  it 
is  coming  back  to  me  or  not.  I'm  a  poor  man, 
and  the  loss  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  dollars 
would  ruin  me.  I'm  older  than  you  are,  and  I 
don't  want  to  be  a  beggar  at  my  time  of  life. 
I'll  let  you  have  the  money  you  want  for  one 
week,  and  won't  ask  you  any  more  than  the 
fifty  dollars  you  ofi^r  for  the  use  of  it,  though 
it  is  cheap,  considering  the  risk  I  run." 


THE   DOliCAS    CLUB.  75 

"  You  will  run  no  risk,  Mr.  Bushwell." 

"Certainly  1  do  run  a  great  risk  —  too  great 
for  a  poor  man  like  me  to  take.  It  makes  me 
shudder  to  think  of  being  a  beggar  after  I'm  too 
old  to  preach  or  to  work.  I  can't  lend  money 
on  any  such  conditions;  but  I'll  tell  you  what  I 
wiU  do." 

"Well,  what?  Anything  I  can  do  I  will  do," 
said  Mr.  Longimore,  catching  at  the  hope  thus 
held  out  by  the  money-lender,  who  was  still 
holding  the  package  of  bonds  in  his  hand. 

"  These  are  thousand  dollar  bonds,  I  suppose  ?  " 
asked  Fox  Bushwell,  craftily. 

"  They  are." 

"  Give  me  your  note  for  five  hundred  and 
seventy  dollars,  payable  in  one  week,  and  I'll 
let  you  have  my  check  for  the  amount  you  want 
to  get  you  out  of  this  difficulty," 

"  I  will  do  it !  "  exclaimed  the  cashier,  promptly. 

"  Stop  a  minute  ;  I  haven't  got  quite  through. 
You  let  me  take  one  of  these  bonds  for  secu- 
rity-" 

"But  the  bonds  are  not  mine,"  interposed  the 
cashier. 

"  I  know  that  as   well   as    you   do.       This   ia 


76  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

the  easiest  way  I  know  of  to  manage  the  busi- 
ness," pursued  the  money-lender.  "  You  arn't 
going  to  steal  the  bond,  or  anything  of  that 
sort.  When  you  pay  the  note,  I  give  you  back 
the  bond,  and  no  harm  done  to  any  one.  Don't 
you  see  it?" 

"  No,  I  do  not,  Mr.  Bushwell.  I  would  not 
do  that  on  any  account.  I  have  no  right  to  take 
the  property  of  the  bank  for  my  own  use." 

"  Haven't  you  taken  five  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars  for  your  own  use?"  asked  the  money- 
lender, with  a  sneer. 

"No  bond  shall  go  out  of  the  bank  for  any 
such  purpose.  I  would  rather  face  the  directors, 
and  tell  them  the  whole  truth,  than  do  anything 
of  that  kind." 

"  You  are  too  particular  for  your  own  good, 
and  I  must  believe  you  don't  think  you  will  be 
able  to  pay  ihe  note  when  it  becomes  due." 

"  I  am  almost  sure  my  brother  in  Portland 
will  assist  me.  If  he  will  not,  I  can  raise  the 
money  in  some  other  way.  I  have  a  great  many 
friends  in  this  city." 

"  I  don't  think  much  of  friends  in  money  mat- 
ters. If  you  want  to  let  me  take  that  bond, 
you  shall  have  the  money." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  77 

"  I  could  not  if  I  would.  The  directors  will 
make  an  examination  to-morrow  morning," 
pleaded   Mr.  Longimore, 

"  They  won't  miss  one  bond ;  or,  if  they  do, 
you  can  make  it  right  with  them  somehow." 

"Lie  to  them?"  groaned  the  cashier,  ashamed 
and  humiliated  even  to  discuss  such  a  question. 
"  Let  me  say,  once  for  all,  that  I  will  not  use 
the  bonds  of  the  bank,  or  anything  else  belong- 
ing to  it,  to  save  myself.  I  will  lose  my  situa- 
tion, and  become  a  beggar  to-morrow,  rather 
than  become  a  defaulter  for  a  thousand  dollars, 
or  any  other  sum." 

"  It  strikes  me  that  you  are  a  defaulter  now 
for  over  five  hundred  dollars.  But  you  can  take 
your  choice  ;  it  is  none  of  my  business." 

"  But  I  did  hope  you  would  help  me,  Mr.  Bush- 
v/ell.  I  have  assisted  you  a  good  deal  in  taking 
care  of  your  business,"  added  the  cashier  re- 
proachfully. 

"  I  don't  deny  it ;  but  if  I've  got  to  pay  five 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars  for  what  you've 
done,  I  had  better  paid  a  lawyer." 

"  I  will  give  you  a  hundred  dollars  for  the 
use  of  the  money  one  week,"  said  Mr.  Longi- 
more, more  desperately. 


78  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  And  the  security  ?  " 

"A  l)ill  of  sale  on  my  furniture,  dated  ten 
days  ahead.  It  will  be  yours,  if  I  don't  pay  you 
by  that  time,"  added  the  cashier. 

"  It's  rather   risky." 

''Not  at  all." 

"  The  note  to  be  for  six  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"•  I  wouldn't  take  no  such  risk  for  any  other 
man.  As  you  say,  you  have  helped  me  a  good 
deal  about  my  business,  and  filed  my  papers  for 
me.  I  want  to  help  you  if  I  can,"  mused  Fox 
Bushwell,  snarling  up  his  long  gray  hair  by 
combing  it  with  his  bony  fingers.  "  I  don't  like 
to  do  it ;  but  I  guess  I'll  take  the  risk.  Six 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars,  you  said — didn't 
you?" 

"  Six  hundred  and  twenty ;  and  I  will  give 
you  the  note  and  bill  of  sale  to-night,  if  you 
will  let  me  have  the  check." 

"  If  I'm  going  to  do  it,  I  might  as  well  do  it 
now  as  any  other  time.  It's  risky  business ;  and 
if  I  get  sent  to  the  poorhouse,  you  must  try  to 
do  something    for    me,"  replied    Fox    Bushwell, 


THE    DORCAS    CLUE.  79 

laying  the  bundle  of  bonds  upon  the  table,  which 
the  cashier  was  careful  to  pick  wp  on  the  instant, 
and  place  in  a  tin  case. 

Mr.  Longimore  wrote  the  bill  of  sale,  specify- 
ing all  the  i")rincipal  articles,  but  including  every- 
thing in  the  house,  and  signed  it.  He  passed 
the  paper  to  his  hard  creditor  on  the  other 
side  of  the  table,  and  proceeded ,  to  make  the 
note.  When  it  was  done,  he  tossed  it  over  to 
the  miser,  Avith  a  blank  check  for  him  to  fill 
out.  Fox  Bushwell  had  put  on  his  spectacles, 
and  Avas  carefully  reading  the  bill  of  sale. 

"  But  this  document  ought  to  have  a  witness 
to  the  signature,"  suggested  the  creditor. 

"  Very  well ;  Ave  can  have  it  Avitnessed  when 
Ave  go  out,  replied  Mr.  Longimore. 

"  Better  have  the  note  witnessed,  too.  I  don't 
want  anybody  to  think  I  took  advantage  of  you ; 
and  everything  must  be  fair  and   above-board." 

"  I  don't  object.  The  same  person  can  wit- 
ness both  papers." 

Fox  BushAvell  filled  out  the  blank  check  for 
five  hundred  and  tAventy  dollars,  on  Avhich  he 
was  to  pay  interest  at  the  rate  of  six  hundred 
per  cent. 


80  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  That  makes  it  all  right,"  said  Mr.  Longi- 
more,  as  he  proceeded  to  gather  up  the  other 
papers  which  belonged  in  the  tin  case,  and  which 
were  kept  in  the  bank  vault. 

"  Just  a  moment  before  3"ou  go,"  interposed 
the  money-lender.  "  I  want  to  ask  you  about  a 
mortsracre  I  have,  that  will  be  due  next  week." 

The  cashier  seated  himself  again.  Fox  Bush- 
well  took  from  the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat  a 
package  of  papers,  consisting  of  deeds,  mortgages, 
notes,  polices  of  insurance,  and  other  documents. 
The  bundle  looked  precisely  like  the  package  of 
bonds  in  the  tin  case,  for  they  were  both  done  up 
by  the  cashier,  with  the  same  tape  and  covering, 
the  papers  having  been  folded  on  the  same  tin. 
The  miser  asked  his  question,  which  involved  a 
discussion  of  half  an  hour,  and  the  church  clocks 
were  striking  nine  when  they  finished  it. 

"  Now,  if  you'll  let  me  have  half  a  dozen 
blank  checks,  I'll  go  home,"  said  Fox  Bushwell, 
rising  from  his  chair,  with  the  package  of  private 
papers  in  his  hand. 

The  cashier  had  to  go  to  another  part  of  the 
bank  for  the  blanks.  While  he  was  gone.  Fox 
-Bushwell  took  the  bundle  of  bonds  from  the  tin 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  81 

case.  He  looked  at  it  earnestly,  and  his  eye 
lighted  up  with  a  diabolical  cunning.  Instead 
of  restoring  the  bonds,  he  placed  the  package 
of  private  documents  in  the  tin   case. 

When  the  cashier  returned,  the  money  lender 
stood  by  the  table,  with  the  package  in  his  hand. 
Mr.  Longimore  looked  at  the  contents  of 
the  tin  case  ;  he  even  lifted  the  bundle  which 
he  supposed  was  the  bonds.  He  did  not  even 
suspect  that  it  was  not  the  bonds.  Why  should 
he  ?  No  one  could  have  told  one  package  from 
the  other  except  by  reading  the  label  upon  it, 
written  in  the  large,  clerkly  hand  of  the  bank 
officer. 

"  It  wouldn't 'do  for  me  to  lose  these  papers," 
said  Fox  Bushwell,  leering  and  smiling,  as  he 
placed  the  bundle  of  bonds  in  his  breast  pocket. 

"  I  should  think  it  was  hardly  safe  to  keep 
them  in  your  house.  They  might  be  stolen,  or 
burned,"  answered  the  cashier,  rather  indiffer- 
ently, as  he  locked  the  vault,  in  which  he  had 
just  placed  the  tin  case. 

"  No  danger ;  I  keep  them  in   a   safe    place  — 
a  good  deal  safer  than  that  vault.     A  good  many 
banks    have    been    broken    into    one    time    and 
G 


82  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

another,"  said  the  money-lender.  "And  that 
reminds  me  that  I  want  to  tell  you  where  I 
keep  my  papers,  so  that  if  anything  should 
happen  to  me,  sombody  would  know  where  to 
find  them.  I  don't  tell  my  boy,  or  Mrs.  Pining  ; 
I  can't  trust  them." 

"  But  you  want  those  papers  witnessed,  Mr. 
Bushwell,"  suggested  Mr.  Longimore. 

"  We  can  do  that  at  my  house.  Prince  shall 
witness  them.  Your  folks  like  him,"  chuckled 
the  usurer ;  "  and  if  anything  happens,  they 
won't  believe  he  means  to  cheat  them,  if  I  do." 

"  Very  well ;  Prince  shall  witness  the  bill  of 
sale  and  the  note." 

Mr.  Longimore  carefully  secured  the  doors  and 
windows  of  the  bank  building,  and  then  walked 
to  the  house  of  Fox  Bushwell.  Mrs.  Pining  had 
gone  to  bed,  but  Prince  was  still  studying  his 
lesson  in  his  comfortless  chamber  over  the  front 
entry.  He  was  called  down,  the  cashier  ac- 
knowledged his  signature  on  both  papers,  and 
the  young  man  wrote  his  name  as  witness  upon 
each  of  them.  He  read  enough  of  the  docu- 
ments to  comprehend  their  nature,  and  only 
regretted  that  the  father  of    Mollie  was   obliged 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  83 

by  his  needs  to  mortgage  his  furniture,  as  he 
understood  the  transaction  to  mean. 

"  Now,  go  to  bed,  Prince  ;  and  don't  burn 
the  lamp  till  midnight,"  said  the  money-lender. 

Prince  returned  to  his  chamber,  and  resumed 
tho  Latin  translation  upon  which  he  was  engaged 
when  called. 

"Now  I  will  show  you  where  I  keep  my 
papers,"  said  Fox  Bushwell,  when  the  young 
man  had  left  the  front  room. 

"  Of  course  I  don't  want  to  know,  unless  you 
wish  it,"  replied   Mr.   Longimore. 

"  I  do  wish  it.  I'm  getting  old,  and  may  die 
any  day.  I  want  you  to  know  where  my  papers 
are,  so  that  they  need  not  be  lost  or  destroyed," 
continued  the  money-lender,  taking  the  lamp, 
and  leading  the  way  to  the  cellar. 

From  a  place  near  the  top  of  the  wall,  over  a 
large  pile  of  shavings,  and  under  one  of  the 
great  cross-timbers  of  the  frame  of  the  house, 
Fox  Bushwell  took  a  stone  of  considerable  size. 
It  was  all  he  could  lift  from  such  a  height,  and 
its  removal  from  the  wall  left  a  considerable 
aperture.  Reaching  into  the  hole,  he  took  out 
a  brass  kettle,  which  contained  a  quantity  of 
papers. 


84  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

'■'That's  my  safe,"  said  Fox  Bushwell,  exhib- 
iting the  kettle,  which  he  held  near  the  lamp, 
on  a  barrel.  "  No  thief  would  ever  think  of 
looking  behind  that  stone  any  more  than  any 
other." 

"But  your  house  might  be  burned,"  added  the 
cashier. 

"  Well,  the  fire  wouldn't  touch  those  papers, 
if  it  was." 

"  The  fall  of  that  large  timber  over  the  hole 
would  throw  down  the  wall.  But  if  you  are 
satisfied,  I  am." 

"  Of  course  you  won't  tell  any  one,"  added 
the  miser. 

"  Certainly  not,"  replied  Mr.  Longimore,  indif- 
ferently. 

Fox  Bushwell  put  the  bundle,  which  the 
cashier  supposed  consisted  only  of  his  creditor's 
private  papers,  into  the  kettle,  restoring  the  lat- 
ter to  its  place  in  the  wall.  Lifting  the  stone, 
he  adjusted  it  so  that  it  seemed  to  be  as  it  had 
been  since  the  house  was  built.  He  filled  the 
chinks  with  small  stones,  and  then  conducted 
his  visitor  up  stairs. 

"If    I   should  die,  you  will  know    just  where 


THE   DOECAS   CLUB.  85 

to  look  for  my  papers,  Mr.  Longimore,"  said  the 
usurer,  as  he  opened  the  front  door. 

"  Suppose  you  should  die ;  what  am  I  to  do 
with  your  papers?"  asked  the  cashier.  "Have 
you  made  a  will  ?  " 

"No,  not  yet,"  replied  the  miser,  with  some- 
thing like  a  shudder,  for  men  like  him  cannot 
think  of  giving  away  their  property,  even'  when 
they  have  no  further  use  for  it. 

"  Such  things  ought  not  to  be  deferred  too 
long,  you  know,  Mr.  Bush  well." 

"  I  know  it ;  and  Fm  going  to  attend  to  the 
matter  right  off." 

"  I  believe  Prince  is  your  heir.  At  least,  I 
never  heard  that  you  had  any  other  near  rela- 
tion," added  Mr.  Longimore. 

"  Well,  I  haven't  got  much  to  leave,  and  it 
don't  make  much  difference,"  said  the  usurer, 
to  whom  the  subject  appeared  to  be  very  disa- 
greeable.    "  Good  night,  Mr.  Longimore." 

"  Good  night ;  but  I  advise  you  to  set  your 
house  in  order,  Mr.  Bushwell ;  not  only  your 
temporal  but  your  spiritual  house  ;  for  death 
comes  like  a  thief  in  the    night." 

"  I'll  take  care  of  it,"  said   the   money-lender, 


86  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

partly  closing  the  door,  to  hasten  the   departure 
of  the  no  longer  welcome  guest. 

The  cashier  hastened  awa}'  to  his  home.  He 
had  it  in  his  mind  to  have  a  very  serious  talk 
with  his  miserable  neighbor,  in  regard  to  the 
things  beyond  this  life,  for  it  seemed  dreadful 
to  him  that  a  man  should  continue  to  pile  up 
riches,  with  no  thought  of  the  hereafter.  But 
not  much  time  did  Mr.  Longimore  give  to  the 
subject  on  that  Monday  night,  for  his  own 
troubles  weighed  heavily  upon  his  mind.  He 
was  safe  from  the  censure  of  the  bank  directors ; 
but  he  had  to  pay  six  hundred  and  twenty  dol- 
lars within  ten  days,  or  lose  his  furniture,  lose 
even  the  piano  with  which  Mollie  could  earn 
her  bread  by  teaching  music,  if  he  should  be 
suddenly  taken  away.  Before  he  went  to  bed, 
he  wrote  a  long  letter  to  his  brother  in  Port- 
land, detailing  very  precisely  the  nature  and 
extent  of  his  financial  embarrassment,  and  asking 
for  an  immediate  loan,  to  enable  him  to  pay  his 
note  when  it  became  due.  He  enclosed  the 
sheet  in  an  envelope,  directed  it,  and  put  a  post- 
age stamp  upon  it.  He  left  it  on  the  table,  and 
went  to  bed.      He   had   not   the   courage  to  tell 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  87 

his  wife  what  had  happened ;  and  he  permitted 
her  to  sleep  on,  unconscious  of  the  heavy  burden 
which  he  was  bearing.  He  could  not  sleep,  for  the 
future  seemed  full  of  trial,  even  under  the  most 
hopeful  view  he  could  take  of  it. 

Fox  Bush  well's  room  was  the  front  chamber, 
next  to  Prince's.  He  usually  retired  at  nine 
o'clock,  to  save  burning  the  lamps ;  but  to-nigbt 
he  did  not  come  up  to  his  chamber  as  usual, 
and  his  nephew  wondered  where  he  was.  The 
young  man  had  heard  the  door  close  when  the 
cashier  left  the  house,  and  had  also  heard  his 
"good  night." 

Prince  wondered  why  his  uncle  did  yot  go 
to  bed ;  and  at  ten  o'clock  he  went  down  for  a 
drink  of  water.  Doubtless  he  went  for  the 
water,  but  certainly  he  also  wished  to  ascertain 
what  the  old  man  was  doing.  Fox  Bushwell 
was  not  in  the  front  room,  nor  in  the  kitchen, 
and  Prince  soon  discovered  that  he  was  in  the 
cellar.  There  was  nothing  strange  in  his  being 
there,  and  the  young  man  went  to  bed.  Per- 
haps the  tea  he  had  drank  for  supper  had  been 
too  strong  —  an  impossible  thing  a  few  weeks 
before;  perhaps  the  Latin  he  had  studied  in  the 
evening    liad    boggled  up  his  brains  ;  at  any  rate, 


88  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

he  could  not  sleep  for  a  while.  He  was  sure 
his  uncle  had  not  come  up  stairs  when  he  heard 
the  clock  strike  twelve ;  but  the  young  man  did 
hear  liim  shortly  after  that  hour.  His  uncle  was 
certainly  more  considerate  than  usual,  for  he 
seemed  to  be  very  careful  about  making  any 
noise  which  might  have  disturbed  the  other 
inmates  of  the  house.  He  had  evidently  taken 
off  his  shoes  down  stairs,  and  come  up  in  his 
"stocking  feet."  If  the  door  and  the  bedstead 
had  not  creaked,  Prince  would  not  have  known 
that  his  uncle  had  retired. 

"  But  the  nephew  was  tired  enough  to  sleep 
by  this  time ;  and  he  did  sleep,  but  not  for  a 
long  time.  He  was  awakened  by  a  furious  yel- 
ling in  front  of  the  house.  Prince  leaped  from 
his  bed,  and  was  going  to  the  window,  when  he 
heard  the  startling  cry  of  "  Fire  !  " 

Then  he  smelt  smoke ;  then  he  was  conscious 
that  there  was  smoke  in  the  room  where  he  was ; 
then  he  heard  the  crackling  and  roaring  of  flames  ; 
then  he  heard  the  screams  of  Mrs.  Pining. 
Drawing  on  his  trousers  hastily,  he  opened  the 
door.  The  entry  was  full  of  smoke,  and  down 
the  stairway  he  could  see  the  light  of  the  flames. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  89 

He  rushed  into  his  uncle's  room.  The  old  man 
appeared  to  be  still  asleep. 

"Fire!  uncle  Fox!"  he  shouted,  almost  drag- 
ging his  uncle  from  his  bed. 

Then  he  rushed  to  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Pin- 
ing ;  but  the  housekeeper  was  already  descend- 
ing the  stairs. 

"  The  house  is  afire  !  Sufferin',  dyin'  world, 
the  house  is  afire  ! "  she  screamed. 

Prince  helped  his  uncle  down  stairs,  for  he 
seemed  to  be  half  paralyzed,  so  that  he  could 
not  move  alone;  and  they  got  out  of  the  house 
at  the  last  moment  it  was  possible  to  do  so  by 
the  stairs,  which  were  now  in  flames. 


90  THE   DOKCAS   CLUB. 


CHAPTER  V. 

AFTER    THE    FIRE. 

THE  cry  of  "  Fire,"  in  the  middle  of  the 
night  is  always  an  appalling  sound,  and 
the  fact  is  appalling  when  the  flames  burst  from 
a  dwelling-house,  where  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren may  be  sleeping,  unconscious  that  the 
devouring  element  is  at  work  so  near  them.  The 
cry  startled  those  who  lived  in  the  street 
where  the  conflagration  broke  out,  and  in  a  few 
moments  a  crowd  had  gathered  near  the  doomed 
dwelling. 

Prince  had  assisted  his  uncle  to  put  on  a  part 
of  his  clothes,  and,  with  the  rest  on  his  arm, 
had  actually  dragged  the  half  paralyzed  money- 
lender into  the  street,  where  he  finished  his 
toilet.  Fox  Bushwell  was  trembling  with  anguish 
at  the  loss  of  his  house,  or  with  some  other 
emotion  unexplained.     When  he  had  put  on  his 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  91 

coat,  he  felt  in  the  pockets  of  it,  as  if  to  assure 
himself  of  the  safety  of  whatever  papers  might 
be  there.  He  seemed  to  be  satisfied  in  this 
respect. 

"  O,  my  house,  my  house !  "  he  groaned,  in 
real  or  apparent  anguish ;  but  no  one  seemed  to 
pity  or  care  for  him. 

"  Siifferin'  and  dyin'  world !  "  cried  Mrs. 
Pining.  "  The  eend  of  the  airth  is  come,  and 
there  ain't  no  peace  for  the  wicked  I  " 

Crowds  of  men,  and  even  of  women  and  chil- 
dren, came,  hurried  from  their  beds  in  the  dead 
of  the  night  by  the  startling  cry,  or  by  the 
glare  of  the  flames.  The  engines  came,  but 
before  the  line  of  hose  could  be  laid  and  the 
brakes  manned,  the  roof  of  the  house  fell  in, 
with  a  crash,  and  a  cloud  of  sparks  and  cinders 
rose  into  the  air.  The  building  was  nearly  all 
gone  when  the  first  stream  of  water  Avas  directed 
upon  the  mass  of  fire.  It  was  impossible  to 
save  a  timber,  or  even  an  article  of  furniture, 
and  the  first  water  had  been  thrown  upon  the 
adjacent  houses,  that  the  flying  firebrands  might 
not  carry  destruction  to  them.  Doubtless  the 
fire    was     well    managed,    because    it    was    not 


92  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

permitted  to  extend  to  the  wooden  structures 
around  it. 

In  half  an  hour  the  fire  had  done  its  work 
with  remarkable  thoroughness,  and  nothing  but 
a  few  timbers  was  left  of  Fox  Bushwell's  house. 
The  engines  continued  to  play  upon  the  black- 
ened embers  till  not  a  spark  of  fire  remained 
among  them.  The  crowd  went  back  to  their 
beds,  and  the  engines  returned  to  their  stations. 
Mrs.  Pining  had  taken  refuge  in  the  house  of 
a  neighbor,  to  which  she  had  been  invited,  and 
only  a  few  lingered  around  the  ruins. 

Among  the  first  who  had  come  to  the  fire 
was  Mr.  Longimore.  His  troubles  banished 
sleep  from  his  eyelids.  He  heard  the  cry  of 
"Fire!"  and,  looking  out  the  window,  he  saw 
the  flames  bursting  from  the  side  of  the  money- 
lender's house.  He  reached  the  scene  of  the 
excitement  just  as  Prince  was  hurrying  his  uncle 
out  of  the  front  door.  With  some  of  the  more 
active  of  the  neighbors  who  had  arrived,  he 
attempted  to  remove  the  furniture  from  the 
front  room.  The  old  secretary  and  the  dilap- 
idated chairs  were  carried  out ;  but  then  the 
flames  drove  the  men  from  the  house,  and  it  was 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  98 

not  safe  to  enter  again.  The  cashier  thought 
that  the  fire  had  broken  out  in  or  near  the 
heap  of  shavings  which  he  had  noticed  in  the 
cellar,  and  he  wondered  if  the  brass  kettle  con- 
taining the  papers  of  his  neighbor  could  with- 
stand the  heat.  When  nothing  more  could  be 
done,  the  cashier  looked  for  Fox  Bushwell  in 
the  crowd.  He  found  him  sitting  upon  the 
doorsteps  of  a  neighboring  house,  bewailing  his 
misfortune  in  the  presence  of  a  knot  of  men 
and  women  who  had  gathered  around  him. 

"I  am  ruined,  Mr.  Longimore !  "  exclaimed 
he,  recognizing  the  cashier  by  the  bright  light 
of  the  fire.     "  My  house  is  gone  !  " 

"  You  ought  to  be  thankful  that  j'our  life  was 
saved,"  replied  his  debtor. 

"  I  am  thankful  for  that.  I  should  have 
burned  to  death  if  Prince  had  .not  waked  me 
up,"  groaned  Fox  Bushwell.  "  I  was  sound 
asleep  when  it  broke  out.  But  I  am  ruined ! 
I  can't  afford  to  loose  so  much." 

"  Had  no  insurance  ?  " 

''None  to  speak  of  —  only  a  thousand  dollars." 

"Well,  that  will  nearly  cover  the  loss." 

"  O,  no.     I  can't  build  another  house  for   less 


94  THE    DOUCAS    CLUB. 

than  two  thousand,  and  all  my  furniture  is 
gone ! " 

The  cashier  did  not  believe  the  miser  would 
suffer  much  loss,  if  he  had  a  thousand  dolla^^ 
of  insurance.  But  he  was  astonished  to  learn 
that  his  neighbor  had  any  insurance ;  and  cer^ 
tai  ily  no  sane  agent  or  company  would  have 
taken  any  more  upon  the  property.  Whatever 
risk  he  ran,  the  miser  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
paying  out  any  money  which  he  was  not  com- 
pelled to  disburse,  and  had  boasted  that  he  never 
insured  any  houses  that  he    owned. 

"  How  did  your  house  take  fire,  Mr.  Bush- 
well  ?  "  asked  the  cashier. 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea,"  replied  the  money- 
lender, blankly. 

"  When  I  looked  out,  the  flames  were  break- 
ing out  at  the  window  in  the  middle  of  the 
house,  near  the  place  where  we  went  down 
cellar,"  added  Mr.  Longimore. 

The  usurer  looked  at  his  neighbor,  as  the 
fire  lighted  up  the  thin,  pale  face  of  the  latter, 
and  said  nothing  for  a  moment. 

"  I  didn't  know  where  it  broke  out.  I  didn't 
know  anything    about    it    till    Prince  woke    me 


THE   DORCAS   CLUE.  95 

up,"  said  he,  with  more  energy  than  he  had 
before  displayed. 

"  Can't  you  think  how  it  happened  to  take  fire?" 

"  I  can't  form  any  idea,  I  went  to  bed  about 
half  past  ten,  and  didn't  hear  anything  till  my 
boy  called  me,  and  hurried  me  out  of  the 
house,"  replied  the  miserable  man.  I  am  afraid 
somebody  set  tlie  liouse  afire." 

"Who  should  set  it  on  fire?" 

"I  don't  know.  Perliaps  somebody  got  mad 
because  I  made  them  pay  me  what  they  owed ; 
but  I  can't  think  of  anybod}^  that  would  do 
such  a  thing,"  whined  Fox  Bushwell. 

*'  Did  you  go  down  cellar  after  1  left  you  ?  " 
inquired  Mr.  Longimore. 

"  Yes,  I  went  down  to  fix  the  kindlings  for  the 
fire  in  the  morning." 

"What  time  was  that?" 

"About  ten  o'clock,  I  think." 

"  You  had  a  lamp,  of  course." 

"Yes;  I  couldn't  do  anything  in  the  dark. 
I  put  the  lamp  on  the  barrel,  just  as  I  always 
do,  while  I  split  up  the  kindlings." 

"If  anything  took  fire  from  your  lamp,  it 
would  have  shown  itself  long  before  the  flames 
burst  out." 


96  THE   DORCAS    CLTJB. 

*'  Certainly  it  would ;  I  don't  believe  it  got 
afire  from  ray  lamp.  Somebody  must  have  set 
the  fire." 

"But  it  came  from  the  inside,"  suggested  the 
cashier." 

**  I  don't  know  whether  it  did  or  not." 

"I  do,  for  I  saw  the  flames  breaking  out 
through  that  middle  window  on  the  lower 
floor." 

Fox  Bushwell  and  the  cashier  talked  till  all 
the  listeners  had  left  them  and  gone  to  their 
beds  again,  till  the  fire  was  extinguished,  and 
the  engines  had  left. 

"  Was  the  note  I  gave  you  burned  ?  "  asked 
the  bank  officer,  in  a  low  tone,  when  they  were 
alone. 

"No;  that  was  in  my  pocket-book,"  answered 
the  money-lender.  "  I  only  put  my  bonds  and 
mortgages  into  the  brass  kettle." 

What  do  you  think  has  become  of  that  brass 
kettle  by  this  time  ?  " 

"O,  I  think  that's  safe." 

*'I  don't  believe  it  is.  Even  the  large  floor- 
timbers  were  burned  off,  and  fell  into  the  cellar," 
said  Mr.  Longimore,  gently,  as  though  he  did 
not  wish  to  destroy  the  hopes  of  the  usurer. 


THE    DOIICAS    C.  UB.  \ji 

"  You  don't  think  my  papers  are  burned  up 
-—do  you,  Mr.  Longiniore  ?  "  groaned  Fox  Bush- 
well. 

"I'm  afraid  they  are.  You  ought  to  have 
kept  them  in  the  hank  vault." 

"  I  don't  think  the  bank's  a  safe  place.  Rob- 
bers are  always  breaking  into  l)anks,"  muttered 
the  usurer. 

"  But  we  can  soon  see  whether  the  papers 
are  burned  or  not.  I  will  get  a  lantern,  and 
Ave  will  see  if  we  can  find  the  brass  kettle." 

The  cashier  went  to  his  own  house,  and  soon 
returned  with  the  lantern.  They  walked  over 
to  the  ruins  of  Fox  Bushwell's  house.  There 
was  scarcely  anything  left  of  it — only  a  few 
blackened  timbers  which  had  fallen  into  the 
cellar.  They  had  been  drenched  and  soaked 
with  water  by  the  engines,  and  great  puddles, 
which  had  not  yet  soaked  into  the  earth,  stood 
beneath  them.  On  the  side  where  the  brass 
kettle  had  been  concealed,  the  wall  had  fallen 
over,  as  it  had  also  in  other  places,  making  a 
practicable  causway  into  the  cellar. 

"You  see  now  how    it  is,"    said    Mr.    Longi- 
more,  pointing  to  the  fallen  wall. 
7 


98  THE    DORCAS    CLDB. 

""They    cheated    me    when      they    laid    those 
*^fene,"  replied  the  money-lender.     "  They  didn't 
half  lay    the  .  wall,  or    it    wouldn't    have    fallen 
over." 

"That  may  be;  but  it  wasn't  a  proper  place 
to  keep  valuable  papers,"  said  the  cashier, 
rather  severely.  "  I  have  told  you  more  than 
once  that  I  would  keep  your  papers  in  the 
bank  vault.  But  it  is  no  use  to  talk  about  it 
now." 

''You  know  as  Avell  as  I  do  that  a  great  many 
folks  have  lost  their  bonds  by  keeping  them  in 
bank  safes,  when  they  have  been  broken  into  by 
robbers,"  whined  the  miser.  "  I  never  thought 
it  was  safe." 

"  I  hope  your  papers  are  safe,  but  I  think  it 
is  hardly  possible,"  added  the  cashier,  as  he 
began  to  examine  the  ground  where  the  wall 
had  stood.  "The  brass  kettle  must  have  been 
carried  over  into  tlic  collar  Avhcn  the  wall  went 
down." 

Mr.  Longimore,  witli  the  lantern  in  his  hand, 
led  the  way  into  the  cellar.  He  rolled  over  a 
few  of  the  smaller  stones,  and  presently  dis- 
covered the  brass  kettle,  bottom  up,  and  crnshed 
in  by  the  rocks  which  had  fallen  upon  it. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  99 

"Here  it  is!"  exclaimed  the  cashier,  as  he 
drew  the  kettle  from  the  rocks. 

"Is  there  anything  in  it?"  gasped  the  usurer, 
as  though  his  life  or  death  depended  upon  the 
answer. 

"Nothing  at  all;  it  was  upside    down." 
"Everything     gone!       Fm      lost!      ruined!" 
groaned  the  usurer.     "  I  might  as  well  die  now." 

"It  isn't  quite  so  bad  as  that,"  added  Mr. 
Longimore,  in  soothing  tones.  "The  mortgages 
must  be  on  record,  and  the  notes  will  be  dupli- 
cated by  the  makers  of  them." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  Even  the  policy 
on  the  house  Avas  burnt,"  said  Fox  Bushwell, 
in  dismay. 

"  The  company  will  pay  the  insurance  all  the 
same,"  continued  Mr.  Longimore,  poking  over 
the  rubbish  to  sec  if  he  could  find  anything 
from  the  kettle  that  had  escaped  the  flames. 

Nothing  combustible  could  have  pa-secl  through 
that  fiery  furnace,  and  it  was  clear  enough  to 
the  cashier  tliat  all  of  his  nci  ;lil)!)r's  valuable 
papers  had  been  consumed. 

"  What  on  earth  am  I  going  to  do  ?  "  moaned 
the    usurer. 


100  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  loose  much.  Those 
Avho  owe  you  will  give  new  notes,  and  your . 
insurance  will  nearly  rebuild  your  house.  Come, 
I  think  we  had  better  get  out  of  the  night  air. 
Prince  has  gone  to  my  house  to  sleep,  and  you 
can  share  the  bed  with  him." 

"No;  I  guess  I  won't  go  there.  I've  got  an 
empty  house  down  the  street,  and  I  am  afraid 
somebody  will  set  that  afire,  if  I  don't  look  out 
for  it,"  replied  Fox  Bushwell.  "If  you  will 
lend  me  that  lantern  till  morning,  I'll  stay 
there.  ' 

"But  you  have  no  bed  to  sleep  in;  the  house 
is  not  furnished,"  protested  the  cashier. 

"  It's  almost  morning  now ;  and  I  couldn't 
sleep  if  I  went  to  bed,  I  feel  so  bad.  I  shall 
have  to  move  into  that  house,  and  I  want  to 
get  it  ready.  I  must  go  to  Avork  on  it  as  soon 
as  it's  daylight.  I  can't  afford  to  board  at  a 
hotel." 

"Come  to  my  house  to  breakfast,  Mr.  Bush- 
well." 

"  Perliaps  I  will ;  I'll  see." 

Fox  Bushwell  took  the  lantern,  and  walked 
down  the  street  towards  the    house    from  which 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  101 

he  had  recently  ejected  the  owner  for  non-pay- 
ment of  the  mortG^asre  note.  It  was  like  the 
one  which  had  just  been  burned  ;  but,  being 
newer,  it  was  in  much  better  condition.  lie 
took  the  key  from  liis  pocket,  and  entered  the 
liouse  ;  but  wliat  he  did  tliere  for  the  next  hour 
doe.s  not  yet  appear. 

Mr.  Longimore  walked  to  his  own  home, 
where  his  family  were  again  slumbering  after 
the  excitement  caused  by  the  fire.  He  sat  down 
in  the  back  parlor,  on  the  table  of  which  lay 
the  letter  he  had  written  in  the  evening.  He 
began  to  think  over  the  events  of  the  niglit. 
He  tried  to  set  up  some  theory  of  the  ^^ossible 
or  probable  origin  of  the  fire  in  Fox  Bushwell's 
house.  There  Avere  many  Avays  that  a  fire  might 
be  kindled,  which  could  not  be  explained  after 
the  premises  were  destroyed.  The  mice  might 
have  got  among  the  friction  matches;  the  lamp 
rags  might  have  ignited  by  spontaneous  coin- 
Ijustion  ;  a  live  coal  in  the  ash  barrel  mioht 
have  lighted  a  shaving  ;  and  some  enemy  of  the 
usurer  —  perhaps  the  man  he  had  driven  from 
the  vacant  house  —  might  have  thrown  alighted 
match  into  that  heap  of  shavings.     It  was  possi- 


102  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

ble,  too,  that  Fox  Ruslnvcll  had  set  the  ho\iL'c 
on  fire,  in  order  to  ol>tain  the  insurance,  though 
he  would  not  have  l)een  likely  to  remain  in  his 
bed,  if  he  luid  done  so  until  the  flames  had 
oearly  cut  off  his  retreat. 

It  was  a  profitless  consideration,  and  the 
cashier  went  to  sleep  in  the  rocking-chair  in 
which  he  sat,  for  he  did  not  care  to  awaken 
his  wife  by  going  to  bed.  He  slumbered  only 
an  hour,  and  when  he  awoke,  it  was  nearly 
daylight.  He  had  intended  to  go  to  the  bank 
before  breakfast,  in  order  to  do  some  writing 
which  the  visit  of  the  usurer  had  prevented  him 
from  finishing  the  evening  before.  On  his  arrival, 
he  opened  the  vault  to  obtain  his  books,  for  he 
desired  to  balance  his  personal  account  before 
the  directors  appeared  ;  and  some  of  them  gen- 
erally came  early  in  the  morning,  to  read^  the 
newspapers,  which  the  porter  brought  at  six 
o'clock.  He  punched  Fox  Bushwell's  check  for 
five  hundred  and  twenty  dollars,  which  he  had 
received  the  night  before,  and  charged  the 
account  of  his  hard  creditor  with  tlie  amount 
for  which  it  was  drawn.  He  also  placed  -the 
sum  to  his  own  credit,  thus    balancing  his    per- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  10 j 

sonal  account,  which  he  ruled  off,  and  i'olt 
happy  that  he  coukl  not  be  censured  even  hy  a 
look  of  displeasure.  He  wrote  the  other  two 
entries  necessary  to  make  his  own  and  the 
usurer's  standing  correct  with  the  bank. 

He  had  brought  the  tin  case  from  the  vnult, 
for  he  had  placed  the  check  in  it  for  the  night. 
When  he  took  it  up  to  return  ii  to  the  safe, 
whether  voluntarily  or  involuntarily,  he  raised 
the  package  of  bonds.  As  his  eye  glanced  at 
the  label  on  the  bundle,  he  started  back  with 
an  emotion  of  horror  ;  his  heart  rose  to  Ids 
throat,  and  the  blood  seemed  to  be  frozen  in 
his  veins  and  arteries.  He  staggered  to  the 
table,  and  dropped  upon  it  the  case,  retaining 
the  package  in  his  hand.  His  gaze  was  fixed 
upon  the  indorsment  of  the  bundle,  in  his  own 
large  and  plain  handwriting.  His  frame  trembled 
all  over,  and  the  cold  sweat  stood  upon  his 
brow  as  he  read  the  label,  — 

Private  Papers  of  Fox  Bushwell. 

The  cashier  sank  back,  exhausted  by  his 
violent  emotions,-  into  an  arm-chair  behind  him. 
He     groaned    in    the    heaviness     of    his    spirit. 


104  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

The  trival  mortification  which  had  menaced  him 
had  been  avoided  to  he  succeeded  by  shameful 
disgrace  and  utter  ruin.  He  trembled,  he  wept, 
he  uttered  a  despairing  groan  when  he  thouglit 
of  his  wife  and  children,  who,  innocent  as  they 
were,  must  share  his  disgrace  and  ruin  to  the 
end  of  their  days.  Gathering  courage  from  his 
desperation,  he  sprang  up,  and  proceeded  to  ex- 
amine the  tin  case. 

Perhaps  the  bonds  Avere  still  there.  Vain 
hope !  they  were  not  there.  He  opened  the 
package  of  "Fox  Bushwell's  private  papers." 
By  some  inexplicable  magic  they  might  be 
changed  into  the  bonds.  Alas,  they  were  only 
the  mortgages,  the  single  policy,  and  the  notes 
of  the  miserable  usurer,  Avhich  had  thus  been 
saved  from  the  fire.  He  even  searched  the  vault 
for  the  lost  package,  catching,  at  a  straw,  the 
faint  hope  that  he  might  have  put  it  in  another 
place,  and  forgotten  it.  The  bundle  was  not  to 
be  found.  He  had  seen  his  soulless  creditor  put 
one  package  into  his  j^ocket.  He  liad  seen  him 
holding  the  bonds  in  his  luind,  Avhile  he  made 
the  Shylock  bargain  with  him.  He  luid  seen 
the  two  bundles  Ivina'  on  the  table  at   the  same 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  105 

time,  and  lie  (]i/>tinetly  reraeml)ered  that  he  hud 
pat  the  bonds  back  into  the  case  with  liis  own 
liands.  He  had  unwittingly  made  this  awful 
blunder?     lie  could  not  believe    it. 

If  Fox  Bu^h  well's  private  papers  had  been  put 
in  the  tin  case,  the  bonds  had  gone  into  the 
pocket  of  his  contemptible  visitor.  If  the  wretch 
had  made  this  blunder,  the  bonds  had  been 
placed  in  the  brass  kettle,  and  burned  to  ashes. 
Mr.  Longimore  was  almost  insane  at  the  thought. 
For  a  moment  he  dashed  wildly  up  and  down 
the  room,  and  then,  as  if  decided  what  to  do, 
he  put  the  package  of  papers  in  his  pocket, 
restored  the  tin  case  and  the  books  to  the  vault, 
and  locked  the  iron  doors.  Seizing'  his  hat,  ho 
walked  at  a  furious  pace  to  the  vacant  house 
Avhere  Fox  Bushwell  had  taken  I'efuge  from  the 
chill  air  of  the  night.  He  kicked  and  pounded 
at  the  door  without  rousing  the  money-lender, 
who,  perhaps,  did  not  care  to  see  him.  Then, 
in  his  desperation,  he  thrust  his  naked  fist 
through  a  pane  of  glass,  heedless  of  the  blood 
that  followed  the  onslaught,  with  the  intention 
of  unfastening  the  sasli,  so  that  he  could  obtain 
admission  by  tlio  window.  But  the  crash  of  the 
"lass  brouixht  Fox  Bu  hwell  to  the  door. 


106  THE    DORCAS    C.-UB. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Longimore,  Ly 
destroying  my  property  in  —  " 

"  Silence,  man  I  "  thundered  the  cashier,  as 
he  seized  the  quaking  money-lender  by  the 
throat.     "  You  have  ruined  me,  after  all  I  " 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Longimore  ?  " 
whined  the  usurer.  "  Don't  hurt  me.  Aio 
you  crazy  ?  " 

"■  I  am  crazy !  mad  !  beside  myself  I  If  3'ou 
don't  answer  me,  if  you  don't  speak  the  truth, 
I'll  tear  you  in  pieces,  as  a  lion  does  a  goat  !  " 
roared  the  cashier. 

"  Let  me  alone  !  Don't  hurt  me  !  I'll  do  any- 
thing. I'll  answer  you.  I  always  speak  the 
truth." 

"Where  is  the  bundle  of  bonds?"  shrieked 
Mr.  Longimore,  shaking  his  clinched  fist  in  the 
pale  face  of  the  miser. 

"'what  bonds  ?  I  don't  know  Avhat  you 
mean." 

"You  do,  you  villain!  What  have  you  done 
with  them  ?  " 

•'  I  haven't  got  any  bonds,  and  I  don't  know 
what  you  mean.  Don't  be  so  savage :  I'm  afraid 
you. 


THE    DORCxiS    CLUB.  107 

"  You  may  well  Le  afraid  of  me,  if  you  don't 
give  up  those  bonds  !  What  have  you  done 
with  them  ?  " 

"I  haven't  seen  them.  I  don't  understand 
what  you  are  talking  about,"  whined  the 
trembling  scoundrel.  ''Don't  hurt  me!  I'm  a 
clergyman." 

"You  are  a  knave  and  a  villain;  and  if  you 
Avere  ten  times  a  clergyman,  I  would  tear  you 
in  pieces,  if  3'ou  don't  give  up  the  bonds," 
said  Mr.  Longimore,  more  mildly,  but  still  furi- 
ously. 

"I  can't  understand  you,"  pleaded  Fox  Bush- 
well,  livid  with  terror. 

"Do  you  see  that?"  demanded  the  casliier, 
producing  the  miser's  package  of  papers,  which 
lie  gave  to  the  other. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Longimore  !  these  are  m}^  papers  ! 
My  mortgages !  my  policy !  my  notes !  I  thought 
they  were  all  burned.  God  l)less  you,  Mr. 
Longimore,  for  saving  tliem  from  the  fire  I  Til 
pray  for  you  !  Fm  a  clergyman  ;  and  FU  pray 
for  you  always  I  "  cried  the  money-lender,  with 
a  ghastly  smile  on  his  livid  face. 

It    seemed    to    be    real;  aiid,    quivering    \\'ith 


108  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

emotion,    the    cashier  gazed    upon      tlic    wretch 
before  him. 

"You  left  this  package  in  the  bank,  and  took 
the  bundle  of  bonds  —  forty  thousand  dollars  in 
bonds  I  "  gasped  Mr.  Longimore.  "  What  have 
you  done  Avith  tliem  ?  " 

''I  took  the  bonds?"  said  Fox  Bushwell, 
opening  his  eyes  and  his  mouth  to  their  widest 
tension. 

''  You  did." 

"  1  didn't  mean  to  take  them,  if  I  did.  I 
thought  they  were  my  private  papers.  You 
know  the  two  bundles  were  just  alike.  You 
fixed  them  both,  with  the  same  wrapper  and  tlie 
same  red  tape,"  whined  the  usurer.  "  I  took 
the  bonds  instead  of  ni}^  bundle  —  did  I?" 

"  You  did  I  "  groaned  the  cashier. 

''  I  didn't  know  it.  I  didn't  mean  to  take 
the  bonds.  I'm  a  clergyman,  and  I  can't  tell  a 
lie." 

"What  have  you  done  with  them?" 
•     "With  what?" 

"With  the  bonds." 

"  I  put  the  bundle  Mliich  I  thought  was  mine 
into  the  brass  kettle.     If  it  was  the  package  of 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  109 

bonds  —  I —  they  —  were —  all  —  burned,"  said 
Fox  Busliwell,  Avith  a  shudder, 

"  I  am  lost  I  I  am  utterly  ruined !  O,  my 
wife,  my  children  I  "  groaned  JNIr.  Longimoi'c, 
beating  his  forehead  with  his  hand. 

Suddenly  he  turned  and  fled  from  the  house. 
Fox  Bush  well  watched  him  till  he  disappeared 
in  the  distance  ;  then  he  looked  upon  his  bun- 
dle of  papers,  and  a  hardly  perceptible  smile 
played  for  an  instant  upon  his  lips. 


110  THE   DOnCAS    CLUB. 


CHAPTER  •  VI. 

OPENING   a  HE   ENVELOPES. 

tcTTjLEASE    to    come    to    order,"    said    Miss 
I  Minnie    Darling,    the    president  of    the 

Dorcas  Society,  when  tlie  hour  appointed  for  the 
meeting  arrived,  on  the  Tuesday  following  the 
events  narrated  in  the  hist  chapters. 

It  was  early  on  the  morning  of  that  day  that 
Mr.  Longini^re  had  rushed,  in  an  agony  border- 
ing on  distraction,  from  the  vacant  house  where 
Fox  Bushwell  had  taken  refuge.  The  fair  mem- 
bers discontinued  their  chatter  instantly,  for  they 
were  deeply  interested  in  tlic  coming  proceed- 
ings of  the  meeting.  They  ceased  to  talk  all 
together,  as  enthusiastic  girls  are  apt  to  do  ;  in- 
deed, they  ceased  to  talk  at  all.  The  secretary 
read  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting,  the  regu- 
lar routine  business  was  transacted,  and  several 
applications  for  aid  were   presented   by  members 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  Ill 

who  had  learned  of  poor  people  needing  cloth- 
ing or  other  necessaries  since  the  last  week. 
Certainly  everything  was  done  "  decently  and 
in  order;"  but  it  must  be  acknowledged  that 
there  was  far  less  interest  than  usual  in  the  ordi- 
nary proceedings.  Doubtless  the  vision  of  a 
swift-flying  race-boat,  propelled  b}^  fair}'  rowers, 
Avas  flittino-  throush  the  minds  of  most  of 
them. 

The  last  clause  of  the  minutes  of  the  preced- 
ing meeting  was  to  the  effect  that  "  Donald  John 
Ramsay,  otherwise  '  Don  John,'  Avas  appointed 
Mercury  for  the  next  week."  This  Avas  a  matter 
of  so  much  importance  that  even  a  person  gen- 
erally so  busy  as  the  active  representative  of 
the  firm  of  Ramsay  &  Son,  boat-builders,  felt 
that  lie  could  not  decline  it ;  but  it  so  happened 
tliat  business  was  just  then  at  a  stand-still 
with  him,  and  it  was  a  positive  pleasure  to  spend 
the  afternoon  in  the  presence  of  so  many  charm- 
ing young  ladies,  especially  as  Nellie  Patterdale 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  association.  At 
tlie  time  when  all  the  routine  business  of  the 
meeting  had  been  done,  however,  Don  John  had 
not    yet    put   in   an    appearance ;   and    no    such 


112  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

thing  as  the  iioii-arriviil  of  the  the  young  man 
who  was  honored  with  the  title  of  Mercury  to 
the  goddesses  had  ever  been  known.  He  had 
always  been  on  hand  when  the  members  weie 
called  to  order,  and,  besides  feeling  like  a  fly  in 
a  honey-pot,  he  regarded  himself  as  highly  com- 
plimented  by  the  appointment. 

"Where  is  our  Mercury?"  asked  Eva  Doane. 
"  There  is  no  one  to  send  with  the  garments 
voted  at  the  last  meeting," 

"  He  treats  us  with  contempt  in  not  making 
his  appearance,"  added  the  president.  "  Did  you 
notify  him,  ]Miss  Secretary  ?  " 

"  I  did,  in  the  usual  form,  and  requested  him 
to  inform  me  if  he  was  unable  to  accept  the 
appointment,"  replied  Eva. 

"  He  incurs  our  displeasure  by  slighting  our 
expressed  wishes,"  continued  Minnie  Darling. 

"  I  am  sure  something  unexpected  has  detained 
him,"  said  Nellie  Patterdale  ;  and  there  was  a 
slight  blush  upon  her  face,  as  she  realized,  after 
she  had  begun  to  speak,  that  she  was  apologiz- 
ing for  one  whom  she  was  supposed  to  regard 
with  more  than  ordinary  favor.  "  Don  John  is 
always  at  the  post  of  duty,  and  always  punctual, 


^'fiw 


THE    DOKCAS    CLUB.  113 

unltiss  he  is  sick,  or  detained  by  circumstances 
absolutely  beyond  his  own  control." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  laughed  Ruth  Hapgood. 

"  We  all  know  that  Don  John  is  a  model 
young  man,  and  we  are  willing  to  believe  that 
tlie  sk}"  has  fallen,  or  that  some  other  equally 
disastrous  event  has  prevented  his  attendance," 
said  the  president.  "  Therefore  it  is  our  presi- 
dential pleasure  that  he  be  heard  before  he  is 
condemned,  reproved,  or  reproached.  We  are 
ready  to  attend  to  the  business  of  opening  the 
envelopes,  which  I  intended  should  be  done  by 
our  Mercury,  so  that  no  mark,  dot,  scratch,  or 
indentation  shall  enable  one  of  our  own  number 
to  identify  tlie  enclosure  of  her  father  or  guar- 
dian. We  must  find  some  other  person  to  per- 
form this  duty.     Who  shall  it  be?" 

"  I  will  go  for  my  brother,"  suggested  Nellie 
Patterdale. 

"•  That  in\^olves  a  delay,"  replied  the  presi- 
dent. 

"  My  cousin,  Philip  Jelley,  from  Bangor,  is  in 
the  house,"  said  Ruth  Hapgood,  at  Mdiose  resi- 
dence the  meeting  was  held.  "  He  arrived  to- 
day noon ;  and  when  I  told  him  we  were  to  have 


114  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

a  meeting  of  over  twenty  young  ladies  this  after- 
noon, he  declared  that  he  was  a  lucky  fellow, 
and  had  tumbled  into  the  sugar  bowl.  "When 
I  informed  him  that  we  allowed  no  gentleman 
to  attend  our  meeting,  except  Mercury,  he 
tlireatened  to  commit  suicide  by  drowning  him- 
self in  a  AAa:^h-bowl." 

""lie  is  in  the  house  —  is  he?"  asked  the 
president. 

"  lie  is ;  and,  if  he  has  not  already  committed 
suicide,  he  is  available  for  use." 

"  Bring  in  the  Jelley,"  added  Minnie  Dar- 
ling. "We  are  all  dying  to  know  what  is  in 
the  envelopes.  We  appoint  the  Jelley  Mercur}', 
jyv!)  tern.'''' 

Ruth  soon  produced  the  young  gentleman 
from  Bangor,  who  was  formally  presented  to  the 
president. 

"Minnie,  darling,  I  am  delighted  — "  he  be- 
gan. 

"  Stop,  sir  I "  interposed  the  president,  with 
dignity.  "That  is  a  stale  joke,  an  nnpardona- 
lile  offence.  Whoever,  of  the  lords  of  creation, 
nmkes  a  pause  between  her  first  and  her  last 
name,  in  addressing  the  president   of    this   asso- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  115 

elation,   shall  be    instantly   and   forever  banished 
from  our  presence." 

"  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons ;  and,  under  the 
circumstances,  if  I  were  drowning,  I  would  not 
stop  the  millionth  part  of  a  second,  for  breath, 
between  your  first  and  last  name,"  protested 
Philip  Jelley,  "  I  am  ready  to  serve  you  wilii 
my  fortune,  my  life,  and  my  sacred  honor,  and 
to  dispense  Bangor  chivalry  like  dew  among  the 
rose-buds." 

"It  is  well,  Mr.  Jelley.  We  accept  your  apol- 
ogy and  your  promise  to  sin  no  more.  We  have 
work  for  you  to  do." 

"  I  would  I  were  a  Hercules  instead  of  a 
Mercury,  then,  that  I  might  slay  the  Nemean 
lion,  demolish  the  Lernean  hydra,  overwhelm  the 
Erymanthian  boar — " 

"  Stay ;  you  Avill  become  a  bore  yourself  if 
you  intend  to  recite  the  exploits  of  Hercules, 
for  we  know  them  by  heart,"  interposed  the 
president. 

"  Forgive  me.  I  am  dumb  till  my  task  is  given 
out,"  replied  the  young  man,  amid  the  general 
tittering  of  the  girls,  wlio  saw  tliat  the  presi- 
dent was  more  than  a  matcli  for  the  glib-speak- 
ing gentleman  from  Bangor. 


113  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  Our  forgiveness  flows  as  freely  as  water  to 
tlij  truly  penitent.  Play  the  role  of  Mercury, 
and  not  of  Hercules,"  continued  Minnie.  "  You 
v,ill  open  those  envelopes  in  the  basket,  pass 
whatever  bank  bills  they  contain  to  the  treas- 
inx'r,  and  ainiounce  the  amount  taken  from  such 
enclosure.  You  will  stand  alone  in  the  corner, 
as  you  do  so,  and  be  particuhir  to  observe  the 
instructions  I  give  you,  Mr.  Jelley." 

'"I  will  obey  to  the  letter.'' 

"  Obey  in  spirit,  as  well  as  to  the  letter." 

Nellie  had  placed  the  basket  containing  the 
envelopes  in  a  chair  in  the  corner  of  the  room. 
In  another  chair  was  a  second  basket  for  the 
envelopes  and  circulars,  when  the  money  had 
been  taken  from  them. 

''  You  will  stand  alone  in  the  corner,  with 
your  back  to  the  audience  —  " 

"With  my  back  to  the  ladies?"  gasped  Mr. 
Jelley. 

"  You  will  obe}^  me  in  letter  and  in  spirit," 
the  president  proceeded.  "  You  Avill  face  the 
corner  while  you  open  the  envelopes  and  take 
the  money  from  them.  You  will  be  sure  that 
no  3'oung  lady  sees  the  one  from  which  you  take 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  117 

a  Lill.  You  will  throw  each  enclosure  and  the 
circular  it  contains  into  the  waste  basket  on 
your  right.  Then,  with  the  money  in  your  hand, 
and  nothing  else,  you  will  right  about  face,  and 
announce  the  amount,  which  will  be  recorded 
by  the  secretary.  You  will  next  step  forward, 
and  hand  the  amount  to  the  secretary.  Do  you 
understand  me,  Mr.  Jelley?" 

"Perfectly;  and  I  will  carry  out  your  instruc- 
tions in  spirit,  and  to  the  very  letter,  protesting 
against  nothing  but  the  penalty  of  being  com- 
pelled to  turn  my  back  to  the  ladies,  even  for 
a  single  instant,"  replied  Mr.  Jelley,  who,  for  a 
young  man  of  eighteen,  appeared  to  have  an 
astonishing, self-possession  in  the  presence  of  such 
a  bevy  of  laughing  girls,  whom  it  is  ten  times 
as  difficult  to  face  as  it  is  twice  as  many  full- 
grown  women. 

^  By  our  presidential  command  you  do  so  ;  and 
therefore  we  pardon  any  seeming  discourtesy  in 
the  act." 

"But  I  am  the  only  sufferer,"  protested  Mr. 
Jelicy. 

"  Then  suffer  in  silence,  or  decline  the  charge 
Ave  iiave  imposed  upon  you,  and  we  will  seek  a 
more  willing  Blercury. 


115  THE    DOKCAS    CLUB. 

"None  could  be  found  in  tliis  linmdrnm  a^e, 
or  even  in  tlie  classic  days  oi  3'ore." 

"  Yon  liave  the  caducens ;  proceed  with  the 
business,  or  vacate  the  premises." 

''  I  am  as  dumb  as  a  mute,  but  as  active  as 
a  French  dancing-master,"  answered  Mr.  Jclley, 
as  he  hopped  into  tlie  part  of  the  room  where 
the  baskets  were  awaiting  him.  Facing  into  the 
corner,  he  took  up  one  of  the  white  envelopes, 
broke  it  oj)en,  and  took  therefrom  the  printed 
circular.  From  this  he  removed  a  greenback, 
and  having  deposited  the  now  useless  papers  in 
the  waste-basket,  he  faced  about  with  military 
precision.  The  members  of  the  Dorcas  Society 
were  breathless  with  interest  and  excitement, 
and  perhaps  the  graceful  military  salute  which 
the  messenger  made  was  entirely  lost  upon 
them. 

''  Miss  Pjcsident." 

"  Mercury." 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  —  " 

"  Announce  the  denomination  of  the  bill,  with- 
out any  flourishes  Avhatever,"  interrupted  the 
president,  impatiently.  "  You  will  say,  '  One 
dollar,'  '  Five  dollars,'  or    '  Ten    dollars  ;  '  '  only 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  119 

this,  and  nothing  more  ; '  not  another  word,  or 
no  longer  shall  you  be  Mercury." 

"Imperial  Juno,  I  —  " 

"  The  amount !  " 

"  Ten  dollars." 

"It  is  well.  Advance,  and  give  the  bill  to 
the  treasurer."  " 

Mr.  Jelley  obeyed,  marched  with  military  pre- 
cision to  the  chair  of  Nellie  Patterdale,  wheeled 
about  and  returned  to  the  corner. 

"  Five  dollars,"  said  he,  when  he  .had,  in  the 
same  manner  as  before,  possessed  himself  of  the 
monetary  contents  of  another  envelope. 

This  small  amount  produced  a  slight  reaction 
in  the  minds  of  the  members,  from  hope  to  fear 
that  the  aggregate  would  be  insufficient  for  the 
purchase  of  the  boat. 

"  Ten  dollars,"  said  Mercury,  next. 

Hope  revived  again. 

"  Ten  dollars,"  was  the  succeeding  announce- 
ment. 

By  this  time  Mr.  Jelley  seemed  to  have  full}' 
learned  his  lesson,  and  he  did  not  add  a  single 
word  beyond  the  requirement  of  the  president. 
When    he    had    opened    the    next   envelope,  he 


120  THE    DOKCAS    CLUB. 

faced  about,  and,  hiving  made  the  military 
salute,  he  stood  like  a  statue,  and  as  dumb  as 
one.  The  president  and  the  members  Vvaiited 
impatiently  to  know  the  amount  of  the  bill  in 
his  hand ;  but  he  continued  to  maintain  his 
obstinate  silence. 

"  Announce  the  denomination  of  the  bill,"  said 
Minnie  Darling. 

Mr.  Jelley  bowed,  but  opened   not  his  lips. 

"  What  ails  you  ?  " 

Mercury  wrote  upon  a  slip  of  paper  with  a 
pencil,  "May  I  speak?"  which  he  presented  to 
the  president  with  the  utmost  deference. 

"  I  command  you  to  speak." 

"  I  beg  pardon  ;  but  I  cannot  announce  the 
amount  in  the  last  envelope  without  exceeding 
my  instructions,"  rej)hed  the  messenger.  "  You 
commanded  me  to  say,  '  One  dollar,'  '  Five  dol- 
lars,' or  'Ten  dollars;'  'only  this,  and  nothing- 
more.'  As  this  bill  in  my  hand  is  neither  of 
these,  and  is  something  more,  I  dare  not 
speak." 

"  You  go  by  the  letter,  and  not  by  the  spirit. 
Mercury.  The  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth 
life," 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  I'^l 

"  I  think  it  will  in  this  case,  Miss  President," 
added  the  messenger. 

"  We  will  aniplif}^  our  instructions  so  far  that 
you  may  give  the  denomination  of  the  bill,  A\'hat- 
ever  it  may  he  ;  but  only  this  and  nothing 
more." 

''  Fifty  dollars,"  said  Mr.  Jelley,  bowing,  and 
advancing  to  the  treasurer. 

This'  announcement  was  followed  by  a  gencial 
titter  and  a  general  clapping  of  hands  ;  but  it 
was  succeeded  by  tAvo  of  only  five  dollars  cacli, 
which  depressed  the  tone  somewhat.  Then  came 
several  tens  and  one  twenty.  For  the  twentieth 
time  the  messenger  faced  about,  and  saluted  the 
president.  He  did  not  immediately  speak,  and 
seemed  to  be  laboring  under  the  temptation  to 
make  a  speech,  which,  however,  he  was  able  to 
resist,  though  he  made  his  announcement  with 
extraordinary  flourish. 

"'  One  hundred  dollars  !  " 

''Goody!"  "Goody!"  "Splendid!"  "Capi- 
tal!" "Elegant!"  "Magnificent!"  cried  the 
members  from  all  parts  of  the  room,  as  Mr. 
Jelley  advanced  to  deposit  the  large  bill  in  the 
hand    of    the   treasurer.      "  We  have  more  thai- 


122  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

enough  now!"  "It's  a  sure  thino-f"  "What 
glorious  times  we  shall  have!" 

The  next  announcement  was  of  another  fifty, 
and  the  hist  was  a  twenty. 

"  The  business  is  completed,  Mercury,  and  wc 
present  our  thanks  for  the  very  acceptable  man- 
ner in  which  you  have  discharged  your  duty," 
said  the  president. 

"  iMust  I  go  now?"  asked  the  gentleman  from 
Bangor.  "  I  have  opened  twenty-five  envelopes, 
and  I  estimate  that  I  have  spent  twenty-five 
minutes  with  my  back  turned  to  the  goddesses 
of  this  assembly,  which  was,  therefore,  all  lost 
time  to  me.  I  implore  you,  Miss  President, 
compensate  me  for  this  sacrifice  by  permitting 
me  to  remain  for  a  space  of  time  equivalent  to 
that  of  which  I  have  been  cheated  by  my  implicit 
obedience  to  your  presidential  commands." 

"  Not  because  you  deserve  any  other  reward 
than  our  thanks,  which  have  been  presented  to 
you,  but  because  we  may  have  further  need  of 
you,  are  you  permitted  to  remain." 

"  Thanks,  Miss  President  !  "  And  the  messen- 
ger seated  himself  at  the  side  of  Ruth  Hap- 
Cfood. 


THE    DO K CAS    CLUB.  123 

While  Ibis  conversation  was  going  on,  Eva 
Doane  was  adding  the  amounts  recorded,  and 
Nellie  Patterdalc  was  counting  the  money. 

''Well,  Miss  Secretary,  what  is  the  result?" 
asked  Minnie  Darling. 

"  Let  us  see  if  my  figures  agree  with  Nellie's 
count,  first,"  said  Eva,  as  she  and  the  treasurer 
compared  notes. 

"  Stop  a  moment,"  interposed  the  president. 
''I  have  forgotten  one  thing. — Mercury!" 

'•Miss  President,"  replied  Mr.  Jelley,  spring- 
ing to  his  feet,  and  saluting  as  before ;  and  it 
was  supposed  he  was,  or  had  been,  a  member 
of  some  military  company. 

"  If  any  one  or  more  of  the  envelopes  you 
opened  contained  no  money,  you  are  solemnly 
enjoined  not  to  mention  the  fact,"  added  Min- 
nie. 

"  But,  Miss  President,  every  one  of  them  did 
contain  money,"  responded  Mercury. 

"  Now,  Mercury,  you  have  spoiled  the  Avhole  I  " 
exclaimed  the  president,  with  an  expression  of 
deep  chagrin.     '-Why  did  you  say  anything?" 

"  I  implore  your  presidential  pardon,"  said  the 
messenger,  bowing  low.     "  You   told   me   if  one 


124  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

or  more  of  the  envelopes  contained  no  money,  I 
was  not  to  mention  the  fact.  As  every  one  of 
them  did  contain  money,  from  five  dolhirs  to  a 
liundred,  I  respectfully  and  reverentially  submit, 
tliere  was  no  fact  to  conceal." 

"I  am  sorry  anything  was  said,"  added  ]\Iin- 
nie. 

"But  it  can  make  no  difference,"  interposed 
the  secretary,  "for  I  have  recorded  and  numbered 
twenty-five  donations ;  and  I  am  sure  no  one 
can  have  the  least  idea  who  gave  the  five  d(jl- 
lars,  and  who  the  fifties,  and  the  hundred." 

*'  It  is  all  right,"  protested  several  of  the 
girls. 

"If  it  were  not  all  right,  it  could  not  be 
helped,"  said  INIinnie.  "  You  will  read  the 
amount,  Miss  Secretary." 

"  Four  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars,"  replied 
Eva  Doane,  consulting  her  paper. 

"  Four  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars !  "  repeated 
the  president. 

This  announcement  was  followed  by  the  clap- 
ping of  hands,  and  by  all  the  ejaculations  con- 
tained in  the  young  ladies'  vocabulary.  The 
amount    of    the    contributions  was  unexpectedly 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  125 

large  ;  indeed,  they  were  double  the  sum  antici- 
pated by  the  most  sanguine.  In  the  circuhxr 
the  probable  cost  of  the  boat  had  been  stated, 
and  a  majority  of  the  donors  had  evidently  com- 
puted, and  given  what  appeared  to  be  their  fair 
sliare,  with  some  allowance  for  the  possible  fail- 
ure of  a  portion  to  contribute.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  was  evident  that  the  one  who  had  en- 
closed the  hundred,  and  the  others  the  twenties 
and  fifties,  believed  that  a  considerable  number 
of  the  members'  fathers  or  guardians  would  give 
nothing,  and  had  been  very  generous  in  order 
to  prevent  the  defeat  of  the  plan.  But  none  of 
the  girls  .had  the  remotest  idea  who  had  given 
these  large  sums.  At  least  a  dozen  of  their 
fathers  were  aV)le  to  give  the  largest  amount ; 
and,  of  half  that  ]nnnl)er,  one  was  as  likely  to 
have  done  it  as  another.  It  was  by  no  means 
certain,  even,  that  the  poorer  parents  had  en- 
closed the  iive-dollar  bills,  since  some  of  the 
richest  men  in  the  city  were  the  meanest  and 
most  penurious. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  real  pain  that  Min- 
nie Darling  realized  that  Mollie  Longimore,  who 
was  not  present  at  this   meeting,  had   not    done 


126  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

as  she  had  said  she  intended  to  do.  Her  father 
must  have  given  at  least  five  dollars,  for  every 
envelope  contained  money,  and  this  was  the 
iinallest  amount  in  any.  Perhaps  something  in 
licr  manner  had  induced  Mollie  to  change  her 
}  nrpose,  and  the  poor,  harassed  cashier  had  ftjlt 
(^l)liged  to  contribute.  Minnie  was  sorry  she  had 
not  spoken  more  decidedly  to  her  friend,  or  that 
the  had  not  given  the  envelope  to  her  own 
father,  with  an  explanation,  for  he  was  more 
able  to  give  a  thousand  dollars  than  Mollie's 
father  was  one.  But  she  was  determined  to  see 
Mollie,  when  she  could  speak  to  her  alone,  and 
have  the  money  returned.  She  felt  that  it  was 
a  shame  and  an  outrage  for  one  so  burdened 
with  trials  and  troubles  as  she  had  heard  Mr. 
Longimore  was,  to  be  asked,  or  even  permitted, 
to  give  five  or  ten  dollars  for  such  a  luxury  as 
a  row-boat. 

"We  can  buy  Don  John's  boat  at  once,"  said 
Nellie  Patterdale.  "  If  she  is  ready,  we  can  take 
our  first  lesson    in  rowing  to-morrow." 

"Who  shall  be  our  instructor?"  asked    Eva. 

"  O  that  I  might  be  the  happy  fellow  !  "  ex- 
claimed Mercury,  pro  tern. 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  127 

"Do  you  understand  rowing?"  inquired  Min- 
nie. 

"  Alas,  no  !  I  don't  know  an  oar  from  a  bot- 
tb  of  Day  &  Martin's  blacking  !  "  groaned  the 
liiossenger. 

"■  Commodore  Montague,  Don  John,  Ned  Pat- 
t'jrdale,  and  a  dozen  more,  know  all  about  it," 
added  Ruth.  "  But  we  have  members  enough 
1  >  illl  the  boat  five  times," 

"We  can  have  another  boat!"  exclaimed 
Eva,  her  eyes  flashing  at  this  rapturous  thought. 

"Two  boats  ! "  shouted  some  of  the  girls,  wild 
wiLh  delight  at  the  prospect  which  was  thus  pre- 
sented to  them, 

"  Certainly ;  we  can  purchase  a  second  boat 
immediately,"  added  Nellie.  "But  even  two 
are  not  enough  to  enable  us  all  to  row  at  tha 
same  time." 

"  Our  girls  afloat  !  Why  was  I  born  that  my 
lot  should  be  cast  in  Bangor,  instead  of  here!" 
sighed  Mr.   Jelley. 

But  the  girls  gave  little  heed  to  the  rhapso- 
dist  from  up  the  river.  They  Avere  excited,  and 
they  all  talked  to  together,  discussing  plans  for 
the    future.       It    was    all    confusion ;  but  it  was 


123  THE    DOIICA3    CLUB. 

sweet  confusion,  for  there  is  nothing  in  the 
^yoli(l  more  delightfal  than  five  and  twenty,  cr 
even  half  a  dozen,  giiis  full  of  life  and  anima- 
tion, with  from  two  to  a  dozen  ringing  out  their 
■silvery  tones  at  the  same  instant,  as  though  life 
Avere  all  too  short  to  enable  them  to  speak  one 
it  a  time.  The  president  rapped  with  a  pencil  on 
the  table  to  bring  order  out  of  tliis  confusion, 
so  as  to  propose  a  method  by  which  all  might 
fairly  use  the  boats.  At  this  moment  Don  John 
was   announced. 

The  airival  of  the  boat-builder  created  a  de- 
cided .'^■ciisation.  Pic  was  the  man  of  boats,  and 
he  coidd  tell  them  whether  or  not  the  new  boat 
could  bo  used  the  next  afternoon,  or  even  that 
very  evening,  for  the  weather  was  warm  and 
pleasant  for  early  May.  He  could  tell  them 
when  they  could  have  the  second  boat ;  and  he 
could  tell  them  who  was  best  quahfied  to  instruct 
them  in  the  art  of  rowing.  Don  John  was 
doubly  Vv^elcomc,  therefore,  and  no  one  even 
thought  of  hearing  his  excuses  for  not  present- 
iner  himself  in  season  to  discharge  his  duties  as 
messenger. 

But  there    was    somethinof    about    Don    John 


THE    DOIiCAS    CLUB.  129 

which  seemed  to  embarrass  them.  Instead  of 
wearing  his  best  suit,  as  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  doing  when  he  went  into  the  presence  of 
young  ladies,  he  wore  his  Avovking  clothes.  More 
than  this,  his  garments  were  covered  with  mud 
and  dirt ;  his  face  v/as  begrimed  with  grease  and 
tar,  and  streaked  with  lines  where  the  perspira- 
tion had  run  down  from  his  brow.  Besides,  liis 
expression  was  full  of  trouble. 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  for  being  late, 
Miss  President,"  he  began,  with  much  emotion 
and  excitement,  "  I  was  so  busy  that  I  did  not 
think  of  this  meeting  till  the  minute  I  started 
to  come  to  it.  Of  course  you  have  heard  the 
news?  " 

"What  news?"  asked  Minnie. 

"  About  Mr.  Longimore." 

"  We  have  heard  nothing." 

"  He  has  disappeared  ;  nothing  can  be  found 
of  him,"  replied  Don  John. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  !  "  exclaimed  several  of  the 
girls. 

"  He  has  not   been    seen    since    the    fire    last 
night,  though  it  is  certain  he  was  at   the    bank 
this  morning,"  added  the  boat-builder. 
9 


130  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  But  what  has  become  of  him  ?  "  asked 
Nellie. 

"  No  one  knows.  The  bank  directors  did  not 
think  much  of  it  till  they  ascertained  about 
noon  that  a  package  of  forty  thousand  dollars 
in  bonds  was  missing." 

"  How  awful !  "  exclaimed  Eva. 

"  Mollie  Longimore  was  not  at  school  to-day," 
said  one  of  the  girls. 

"  Do  they  think  he  has  run  away  with  the 
money?"  inquired  Ruth. 

''  The  directors  are  afraid  he  used  the  bonds 
some  time  ago.  If  he  had  intended  to  run  away, 
they  think  he  would  not  have  waited  till  this 
morning.  Mrs.  Longimore  and  Mollie  say  he  has 
been  much  troubled  lately.  In  a  word,  they 
fear  he  has  committed  suicide." 

"  Poor  Mollie  !  "  sighed  the  president,  bursting 
into  tears. 

She  was  not  the  only  one  Avho  wept  as  the 
members  thought  of  the  agony  poor  Mollie  must 
be  suffering  at  that  moment. 


THE    DOKCAS    CLUB.  131 


CHAPTER  VII, 

THE   FIRST   LESSON   IK   ROWING. 

''  TT  is  so  dreadful!"  exclaimed  Eva  Doane, 
1       wiping  the  tears    from    her    eyes.     "  To 
think  of  Mr.   Longimore  doing  anything  wrong  ! 
It  seems  to  me  quite  impossible." 

"I  suppose  he  was  in  debt,  and  the  tempta- 
tion was  too  much  for  him,"  added  Ruth  Hap- 
good. 

"I  do  hope  he  has  not  committed  suicide," 
continued  Eva,  with  a  shudder ;  ''  that  is  so 
awful!" 

"  Of  course  no  one  knows  that  he  has  done 
so,"  said  Don  John;  "only  he  can't  be  found. 
The  bank  directors  did  not  discover  the  loss 
of  the  bonds  till  this  afternoon.  They  were 
looking  over  the  books  all  the  forenoon,  but 
were  not  able  to  find  anything  wrong.  They 
counted  the  money    and  then  began  to    examine 


132  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

the  securities.  About  a  hundred  men  are  look- 
ing for  him  now.  I  have  been  searching  in  the 
mud  and  water,  and  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me, 
ladies,  for  coming  before  you  in  such  a  plight. 
1  was  so  busy  that  I  forgot  all  about  the  meet- 
ing till  just  now,  and  then  I  could  not  spare  the 
time  to  go  home  and  change  my  clothes." 

"  You  are  very  excusable,  Don  John,"  replied 
the  president.  "  Have  you  seen  MoUie  .Longi- 
more  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  ;  but  Prince  Willingood  told  me 
the  family  were  almost  beside  themselves  with 
grief  and  terror." 

"  Poor  MoUie  !  How  I  pity  her  !  "  added  Min- 
nie, Aviping  away  the  tears  that  dimmed  her 
bright  eyes. 

"  It'y  a  terrible  hard  case  for  the  family,"  said 
Don  John,  with    emphasis. 

"But  it  is  not  certain  yet  that  Mr.  Longi- 
more  will  not  return,"  suggested  Minnie.  "He 
may  have  gone  somewhere  to  obtain  assistance." 

"  And  taken  forty  thousand  dollars  in  bonds 
with  him  ?  That  is  quite  impossible.  The  di- 
rectors are  certain  that  he  has  either  run  away 
or  committed  suicide.     I  have  not  seen  anybody 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  133 

who  Relieves  anything  else.  Prince  says  Mrs. 
Longiraore  and  MolUe  have  no  hope  of  anything 
better,  for  the  cashier  had  been  worried  for  some 
time.  He  is  either  dead  or  gone  away  ;  and  his 
family  are  left  Avithout  a  dollar." 

"  How  awful  I  "  exclaimed  Eva.  "•  Can't  we 
do  Liomething  ?  " 

"  Certainly  we  can,"  said  Nellie  Patterdale, 
decidedly.  "Every  one  of  ns  loved  poor  Mollie 
like  a  sister,  and  the  family  shall  not  suffer  for 
the  want  of  anything." 

This  subject  was  discussed  at  considerable 
length,  and  various  plans  were  suggested  for 
assisting  the  family  of  the  cashier  in  the  most 
delicate  way  possible,  though  the  details  v/ere 
not  finally  arranged.  The  abundant  sympathy 
of  the  girls  for  Mollie  led  them  to  believe  that 
they  could  furnish  all  the  aid  the  stricken  family 
Vv'ould  need  ;  for  tliey  felt  that  if  they  could 
raise  over  four  liundred  dollars  for  a  boat,  they 
could  obtain  ten  times  that  amount  for  so  noble 
and  worthy  a  purpose  as  the  care  of  the  needy 
ones.  But  they  were  young  and  enthusiastic, 
with  ])ut  little  knowledge  of  the  wa}^  of  the 
world.     It  was  right  to  do  such  a  deed,  and    it 


134  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

seemed  easy  enough  to  them  to  accomplish  it. 
This  noble  purpose  begat  a  cheerfulness  in  the 
society,  which,  at  last,  brought  their  minds  back 
to  the  boat. 

"  Don  John,  we  were  particularly  desirous  to 
see  you  this  afternoon,"  said  the  president. 
"  We  wish  to  enquire  about  the  boat  which  you 
have  been  building.     Is  it  finished  ?  " 

"It  is  all  done,  and  yesterday  I  had  the  name 
painted  upon  the  stern,  and  on  each  side  of  the 
bow,"  replied  the  boat-builder. 

"Indeed!  What  is  the  name?"  inquired 
Minnie. 

"  Dorcas." 

"  That  was  an  odd  name  for  you  to  give  to 
it." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  gave  her  the  name  of  your 
society,  and  considering  the  use  to  which  I  in- 
tend to  put  her,  it  Avas  the  right  thing  to  call 
her." 

"  Then  you  have  a  use  for  lier  ?  "  asked  Min- 
nie, looking  a  little  troubled. 

"I  have;  and  without  any  ceremony,  allow 
me  to  present  the  boat  to  the  Dorcas  Society," 
said  Don  John. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  185 

"  You  cannot  mean  that,"  added  the  presi- 
dent, with  a  smile. 

"I  certainly  do.  I  talked  the  matter  over 
fully  with  the  other  memher  of  our  firm, — that's 
my  mother,  —  and  we  agreed  to  present  her  to 
the  society." 

"  But,    Don    John,  we    are    able    to  buy   the 

boat." 

"  Of  course  you  are  ;  and,  thanks  to  the  good 
people  of  this  city,  our  firm  is  now  abundantly 
able  to  present  her  to  this  society,  which  has 
done  so  much  good  to  the  poor,"  replied  Don 
John,  modestly. 

"It  is  too  much  for  you  to  give." 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  built  her  wjiolly  with  my  own 
hands,  when  I  had  nothing  else  to  do.  The 
stock  did  not  cost  much,  and  I  hope  you  will 
not  refuse  to  accept  her,  for  any  reason.  As 
soon  as  I  heard  that  the  young  ladies  of  this 
society  wanted  a  boat,  I  decided  to  present  her 
to  you." 

Certainly  Don  John  desired  to  do  this  grace- 
ful thing  for  the  sole  sake  of  doing  it,  however 
the  gift  might  serve  him  as  a  "  business  card." 
The  boat  wa.3  accepted  by  vote,  and  the  thanks 
of  the  society  presented  to  the  donor. 


1^6  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

"  She  will  be  ready  for  use  by  to-morrow^  for 
the  last  coat  of  paint  I  put  upon  her  is  dr}'  and 
hard,"  said  the  boat-builder. 

"But  who  is  to  teach  us  how  to  row?" 
asked   Eva. 

"  I  move  that  Don  John  be  invited  to  be  our 
instructor  in  the  art  of  rowing,"  said  Ruth 
Hapgood ;  "I  am  sure  he  knows  as  much,  or 
more,  about  it  than  anybody   else." 

This  motion  Avas  carried  with  unanimity  and 
enthusiasm  by  the  society,  and  Don  John  ac» 
cepted  the  delightful  position  thus  assigned  to 
him. 

"Don  John,  what  is  the  value  of  the  Dor- 
cas?"  inquired  Nellie. 

"She  has  no  value  now;  she  is  beyond  price," 
laughed  Don  John. 

"But  what  was  the  price  you  fixed  for  her  ?  " 

"When  J  had  concluded  to  present  her  to  the 
Dorcas  society,  she  rose  in  value  five  hundred 
per  cent,  in  my  estimation.  The  pleasure  of 
presenting  her  was  worth  at  least  a  thousand 
dollars  to  me." 

"  But  please  answer  my  question.  If  you  had 
wished  to  sell  her,  in:jtG.id  of  giving  her    away, 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  137 

what  should  you  have  asked  for  her  ?  "  persisted 
Nellie. 

"I  could  not  hav^e  sold  her    for    any    money, 
after  I  knew  that    this    society    intended    to  go 
into  boating."     replied  Don  John,  who  suspected 
tha^  his     fair    friend    wished,  by    some    indirect 
means,   to  pay  for  the  Dorcas. 

"  Didn't  you  say,  a  week  ago,  that  you  asked 
two  hundi-ed  dollars  for  her  ? "'  demanded 
Nellie. 

"That  was  before  I  knew  you  Avanted  a  boat; 
and—" 

"Was  that  the  price  of  her?"  interposed  his 
questioner. 

"It  was  ;  but — " 

"No  'buts,'  if  you  please,  Don  John.  I  wish 
to  know  for  a  special  purpose,  Avhich  in  no  way 
affects  you." 

"That  was  the  price,"  replied  the  boat-builder, 
wondering  what  Nellie  was  driving  at. 

"Miss  President." 

"Miss  Patterdalc." 

"  I  move  that  the  society  go  into  secret  ses- 
sion,",,added   Nellie. 

"  Is  that  a  l)lo\v  aimed  at  me  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Jelley. 


138  THE    DOKCAS    CLUB. 

"  No  sir ;  in  consideration  of  the  valuable 
services  you  have  rendered  the  society,  as  Mer- 
cury, pro  tern.,  you  will  be  permitted  to  remain, 
if  3'Ou  will  pledge  yourself  not  to  reveal  what 
is  said  or  done,"  said  the  president. 

"  I  pledge  my  life,  my  fortune,  and  my  sacred 
honor,  not  to  write,  print,  utter,  say,  reveal, 
mention,  hint,  lisp,  mark,  dot,  engrave,  or  indi- 
cate a  woi'd  of  what  is  said  or  done." 

"  It  is  well.  Don  John,  as  Mercury,  you  will 
not  di;;elose  any  of  the  private  business  of  the 
society,"  added  Minnie. 

"Certainly  not." 

The  motion  to  go  into  secret  session  was 
carried,  and  Nellie  Patterdale  had  the  floor. 

"I  move  that  two  hundred  dollars  of  the 
money  contributed  for  the  boat  be  appropriated 
to  aid  the  family  of  Mr.  Longimore,"  continued 
she. 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes !  "  cried  the  girls,  though 
some  of  them  had  already  thought  that  the  sum 
collected  would  enable  them  to  purchase  two 
more  boats,  making  three  in  all. 

The  appropriation  was  made  without  a  dis- 
yeuting  vote.     jNlinnie   Darling    was   appointed   a 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  139 

committee  of  one  to  disburse  the  money  as  she 
thought  best,  but  with  instructions  to  do  it  pri- 
vately, so  as  entirely  to  spare  the  feelings  of 
Mollie  and  her  nKjther.  Nellie  desired  to  use 
the  rest  uf  the  boat  money  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, but  slie  thought  it  wise  to  defer  any 
action  in  this  direction  till  a  future  time,  having 
some  doubt  whether  or  not  it  was  proper  to  di- 
vert the  funds  from  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  given. 

'•'■  Now  that  we  have  one'  boat  for  our  twenty- 
five  members,  we  ought  to  arrange  some  plan  by 
which  we  may  all  have  an  equal  and  fair  use 
of  her,"  said  the  president. 

"How  many  will  the  boat  hold,  j\Ir.  Instruc- 
tor in  the  art  of  rowing?"  asked  Eva. 

"Five,  without  any  passengers,"  replied  Don 
John.  "  I  think  you  had  better  have  only  the 
regular  crew  while  you  are  learning  to  row. 
Four  at  the  oars,  and  one  at  tlie  tiller  lines,  are 
the  proper  complement  for  the  Dorcas." 

"Then  I  think  we  had  l)etter  divide  ourselves 
into  five  clubs,  each  having  its  own  name," 
suggested  Nellie.  "Tlie  first  shall  be  the  Dor- 
cas Clul),  which  shall  al  ;o  be  the  general  nauu 
of  the   whol ;  boatin'T  societv." 


140  THE    D  JRCAS    CLUB. 

Tlie  suggestion  found  favor  with  the  girls, 
and  some  time  was  spent  in  making  the  division. 
The  httle  rings  of  intimate  friends  formed  the 
bases  of  the  several  clubs,  and  the  arrano'ement 
was  made  without  much  difficulty.  MolHe  Longi- 
more  was  the  only  member  absent,  and  it  so 
hap[)ened  that  four  of  the  five  clubs  were  made 
up  at  once,  while  one  remained  with  only  four 
members.  Naturally  enough,  the  officers  of  the 
society,  who  were  its  executive  committee,  and 
were,  therefore,  together  a  great  deal,  united  as 
one  club,  and  found  themselves  unable  to  obtain 
another  member. 

"  Mollie  is  absent,"  said  Minnie.  ''  Of  course 
she  will  not  wish  to  row  for  some  time,  but  wo 
Avill  take  her." 

"  O,  yes,"  exclaimed  Eva ;  "I  am  glad  to 
have  her  in  our  club." 

"  Now  each  club  must  have  a  leader,"  inter- 
posed Don  John,  when  the  division  had  been 
made.  "  She  will  steer  the  boat,  and  be  the 
commander,  the  president  of  the  club.  Each 
should  elect  its  own  leader." 

The  instructor  in  rowing  thought  this  was 
a  better  name  for  the  chief  than  the  one  usually 


THE    DOUG  AS    CLUB.  lil 

applied  to  tlio  offija  ;  and  the  girb  separated  in 
different  parts  of  tlic  room  to  ballot.  In  some 
of  them  several  l)allots  were  taken,  before  a 
choice  wa.i  made  ;  but  in  the  officers'  clu]),  the 
four  votes  cast,  without  any  electioneering  or 
previous  consultation,  were  for  MoUie  Longimorc. 
The  sympathy  of  the  girls  for  their  al)seut 
friend-  was  so  deep  and  earnest,  that  they  could 
not  help  manifesting  it  in  all  possible  ways. 

"  Now,  Ave  have  five  clubs  and  only  one  boat," 
said  the  president;  "and  we  must  iix  the  time 
for  each  of  us  to  u;ic  her.'" 

"•  That  will  give  one  day  in  the  week  for  each 
club,"  added  NcUio ;  "  and  we  have  to  attend 
the  meeting  of  the  society  on  Tuesdays,  so  that 
we  cannot  go  on  that  day." 

"  That  makes  an  easy  thing  of  it,"  replied 
Ruth.  "  But  suppose  it  should  rain  on  any 
day  ?  " 

"  The  club  for  that  day  must  loose  its  chance, 
I  suppos(>,"  answered  Nellie.  "It  will  be  as  fair 
for  one  as  for  another,  for  it  does  not  always 
rain  on  tlie  same  days  of  the  week." 

This  arrangement  was  agreed  to,  and  Don 
John  suggested    that    the    leaders    of    the  clubs 


142  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

draw  lots  for  the  clays,  which  Avas  also  assented 
to.  The  instructor  wrote  the  names  of  the  days 
of  the  week,  except  Sunday  and  Tuesday,  on  as 
many  slips  of  paper,  which  were  to  be  drawn 
from  a  book  by  the  leaders. 

"But  we  have  no  names  yet,"  said  Minnie. 
"Which  will  be  the  Dorcas  Club?" 

"  Yours,"  said  several  members ;  and  the  offi- 
cers' club,  of  which  Mollie  was  the  leader,  was 
designated  as  the  one  .  to  retain  the  general 
name  of  "Dorcas." 

"What  shall  you  call  your  club,  Kate  Bil- 
der?"  asked  the  president. 

"The  Lily,"  replied  the  leader. 

"  Very  good.  Do  you  mean  the  tiger  lily,  the 
lily  of  the  valley,  or  the  water  lily  ?  " 

"  We  talked  about  those,  but  we  liked  '  Lity,' 
simply,  better  than  'Water  Lil3^' " 

"Suit  yourself,  Kate.  Now  draw  one  of  the 
slips." 

The  leader  of  the  Lily  Club  drew  one  of  the 
slips  of  paper  from  the  book,  upon  which  was 
written  the  single  word  "  Monday ;  "  and  the 
secretary  recorded  the  Lily's  day. 

"Jenny  Waite,  what  is  the  name  of  your 
club  ?  " 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  143 

"Fairy." 

"  Very  well ;  draw." 

"Saturday." 

"  Your  name,  Susy  Thaxter  ?  " 

"  Undine." 

"Very  appropriate;  draw,  if  you  please," 
continued  the  president. 

"Wednesday." 

"  What  shall  we  call  your  club,  Carrie  West  ?" 

"Pysche." 

"Draw." 

"Friday." 

"  That's  an  unlucky  day  in  the  almanac  of 
the  sailors,  but  I  hope  it  will  not  prove  so  to  the 
Pysche  Club,"  laughed  Minnie,  "  As  the  leader 
of  the  Dorcas  Club,  is  not  here,  Eva  will  draw 
the  slip  for  her.  It  is  Hobson's  choice^  and 
Thursday  is  the  only  day  not  yet  taken." 

Of  course  Thursday  was  drawn  for  the  Dorcas 
Club.  The  business  Avas  hardly  finished  before 
some  one  proposed  to  visit  the  boat-builder's 
shop,  to  see  the  new  boat,  and  in  live  minutes 
more  the  party  were  on  tlieir  way.  Of  course 
the  Dorcas  was  "perfectly  splendid,"  and  the 
exclamation  points  were  as  thick  as  hail-stones 
iu  a  summer  shower. 


144  THE    DOPvCAS    CLUB. 

*'  O,  I  sliould  like  to  see  her  on  the  water !  " 
cried  Eva  Doane. 

"It  is  a  very  easy  matter  to  put  her  into  the 
T^^ater,"  said  Don  John,  prompt  to  take  the  hint. 
"But  I  want  a  little  help,  for  she  must  be 
handled  carefully.  There  comes  Prince  ;  he  will 
assist  me." 

"  You  have  bought  the  boat,  I  suppose,"  said 
Prince,  after  he  liad  bowed  to  the  young  ladies. 

"We  have  not  bought  her,  but  she  has  been 
presented  to  us,"  replied  Minnie  Darling.  "  Don 
John  is  as  generous  as  a  lord." 

"  Anything  new  about  Mr.  Longimore,  Prince?" 
asked  Don  John    willing  to  change    the   subject, 

"  His  handkerchief  was  found  on  one  of  the 
wharves,  and  a  ;jmall  row-boat  is  missing  from 
the  same  place,"  replied  Prince  gloomily.  "  They 
have  dragged  the  water  all  about  the  wharf, 
but  they  can't  find  him." 

"  Whose  boat  was  it?" 

"I  don't  know;  they  have  searched  the  whole 
water  front  of  the  city,  without  finding  it," 
added  Prince.  "  Some  think  he  has  gone  off  in 
the  boat." 

"  He  could  not  go  a  great  way  in  a  row- 
boat,"  said  Don  John. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  145 

"  He  may  have  gone  out  to  drop  himself  into 
tha  deep  water,  and  the  boat  drifted  away.  At 
any  rate,  if  they  can  j&nd  the  boat,  it  may  afford 
aowM  clew  to  him." 

"  Have  you  seen  MoUie  to-day.  Prince  ?  "  in- 
quired Nellie. 

"  Yes  ;  after  our  house  was  burnt  down  last 
ni;;'ht,  I  staid  at  Mr.  Longimore's  ;  but  I  got  up 
at  seven  o'clock,  and  left  the  house.  I  went  to 
school  as  usual,  and  did  not  hear  anything  about 
Mr.  Longimore  till  half  past  two.  I  went  to 
Km  house  then.  Mollie  had  fainted  away  half 
a  dozen  times  in  the  forenoon,  but  she  was 
better  when  I  caw  her,  though  she  was  as  pale 
as  a  ghost." 

"  Does  she  think  her  father  is  dead  ?  "  asked 
Minnie,  the  tears  in  her  own   eyes. 

"She  says  she  is  almost  sure  of  it;  and  if 
her  father  took  the  bonds  at  all,  he  must  have 
been  insane  Avhen  he  did  so,"  continued  Prince, 
sadly.  "She  says  she  is  alone  in  the  world  now. 
I  think  some  of  you  girls  ought  to  go  and 
sec  her." 

"  Let  us  go,"  Nellie  proposed ;  but  it  was 
arranged  that  only  she  and  Minnie  should  visit 
10 


146  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

her  then ;  and  they  departed  upon  their  mission 
of  sympathy. 

"  I  want  to  put  this  boat  into  the  water, 
Prince,"  said  Don  John.     "  Lend  us  a  hand." 

Though  Prince  did  not  feel  much  interest 
ju-t  then  in  the  boat  or  the  Dorcas  Club,  he 
assisted  to  put  the  pretty  barge  in  the  water. 
She  sat  upon  the  tide  like  a  fairy,  as  she  was. 
The  builder  brought  the  oars,  which  were 
"•!:^poons,"  made  of  pine,   and  very  light. 

"  If  the  Lily  Club  will  take  their  places,  we 
will  see  how  she  works,"  added  Don  John. 

'^  Goody  !  goody!"  cried  the  members  of  that 
club. 

"Steady!"  shouted  the  instructor  in  rowing. 
"  You  will  upset  the  boat,  and  tumble  your- 
selves into  the  drink,  if  you  board  her  in  that 
style.  When  you  get  into  a  boat,  you  should 
do  it  as  calmly  as  you  would  step  on  eggs.  See 
where  you  are  going  to  put  your  foot,  and  then 
put  it  there." 

Don  John  helped  the  members  of  the  Lily 
Club  to  their  seats,  and  getting  in  himself, 
shoved  the  Dorcas  far  out  from  the  shore. 

"Before    you    do    anything,    young    ladies,    I 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  147 

want  to  talk  to  you  a  moment,"  said    he,    smil- 
ing at  the  novelty  of  his  position. 

"What  am  I  to  do?"  asked  Kate  Bilder,  im- 
patiently. 

"  You  are  to  keep  cool,  and  do  nothing. 
When  the  girls  can  pull,  you  will  steer,"  replied 
Don  John.  "Now  you  will  each  take  an  oar, 
if  you  please,  and  stand  it  up  straight  before 
you." 

"Why,  the  oars  are  as  light  as  a  feather," 
said  one  of  the  crew. 

"  Well,  I  got  them  on  purpose  for  you.  They 
are  made  of  soft  pine,  but  they  are  strong 
enough,  if  you  handle  them  carefully.  Those 
who  pull  the  starboard  oars  — " 

"Starboard?"  queried  one  of  the  fair  rowists. 

"  The  starboard  is  the  right,  and  the  port  the 
left  side  of  the  boat,  looking  forward,"  explained 
the  instructor,  very  patiently.  "You  are  all 
sitting  backward,  so  that  the  port  oars  are  on 
your  right,  and  the  starl)oard  on  your  left.  I 
will  give  each  of  you  a  number.  The  after,  or 
stroke,  oar  is  No.  1.  That's  you,  Maggie 
Bo  wen." 

"Two,"  said  Ella  Haven. 


148  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"Three,"  added  Julia  Gray. 

"  Four,"  continued  Louise  Winn, 

"  Four  is  the  bow  oar,"  explained  Don  John. 
"  The  even  numbers  pull  the  starboard  oars, 
and  the  odd  the  port  oars.  The  starboard 
rowers  will  take  the  handle  of  the  oar  with  the 
right  hand,  and  the  loom  by  the  left." 

"  What  is  the  loom  ?  "  asked  Julia. 

"  An  oar  has  three  parts  ;  the  handle  is  the 
small  part  which  you  grasp  in  your  hands ;  the 
blade  is  the  flat  part,  and  the  loom  is  the  por- 
tion next  to  the  handle,  which  is  inboard  when 
you  row.  The  port  rowers  will  take  the  handle 
in  the  left  hand,  and  the  loom  with  the  right. 
That's  it.  Now,  Miss  Bilder,  you  are  the  leader, 
and  will  give  the  orders.  When  she  says,  '  Boat 
your  oars  !  '  you  will  all  drop  your  oars  together 
into  the  boat,  by  the  gunwale,  or  rail.     Now!" 

"Boat  your  oars!"  said    Kate. 

Being  the  first  time,  of  course  it  was  done 
very  clumsily. 

"■  You  should  all  drop  them  together,"  said 
Don  John.  "  We  will  try  that  over  again. 
When  the  leader  says,  '  Ready,'  you  will  grasp 
the  oars,  as  I  told  you.  At  the  command,  '  Up 
oars  ! '  you  will  raise  them  all  as  one." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  149 

"  Ready  !  Up  oars  !  "  repeated  Kate  Bilder  ; 
and  the  oars  went  up  very  Avell. 

The  two  evolutions  were  repeated  several 
tunes,  till  they  Avere  performed  together. 

"  The  next  order  will  be,  'Let  fall,'"  continued 
the  instructor,  Avhile  the  fair  rowists  held  the 
oars  up  perpendicularly  before  them.  "  At  the 
command,  you  will  let  the  blade  of  the  oar  fall 
into  the  water,  with  the  spoon,  or  curve  at  the 
end  of  it,  turned  up.  As  you  do  so,  raise  the 
handle,  so  that  the  oar  shall  not  fall  upon  the 
gunwale.  Slip  it  into  the  rowlock,  and  you  are 
ready  for  business.     Now  try  it." 

"  Let  fall !  "  said  the  leader,  who  was  a  very 
apt  scholar. 

"Very  well,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Don  John. 
"  To  get  the  oars  back  again  to  a  perpendicular, 
the  command  is,  '  Toss.'  Try  it  again,  if  you 
please." 

"  Toss  !  "  said  Kate  ;  and  up  went  the  oars. 
"Capital!" 

"  Let  fall  !  "  added  Kate  ;    and    she    practiced 
the    crew    on    all    of    the    evolutions    they    had 
learned,  till  they  did  very  well  for  beginners. 
"  Now  we  will  pull  a    little  ;  but    I  Avish  you 


I'O  THE    DORCAG    CLUBi 

tvO  take  but  one  stroke  in  foiii-  movements;. 
Place  the  oar  so  tliat  the  spoon  i,j  jnst  out  of 
the  water.  Push  tlic  liandle  away  from  von, 
at  arms'  length ;  this  is  one.  Two,  raise  the 
handle  jnst  enough  to  sink  the  blade  into  I  he 
water,  so  as  to  cover  the  spoon.  Three,  pull. 
Four,  drop  the  handle  till  the  blade  is  out  of 
the  water." 

Don  John  repeated  his  instructions  several 
times,  and  then  required  each  girl  to  do  it 
alone,  till  she  had  the  movement.  After  this 
they  tried  it  all  together,  but  the  girls  were  so 
much  excited  when  the  Dorcas  began"  to  move 
through  the  water,  that  not  much  proficiency 
coukl  be  attained. 

''  Here  endeth  the  first  lesson,"  said  the  instruc- 
tor, as  soon  as  the  rowers  were  able  to  pull  a 
dozen  strokes  together. 

The  Lil}'  Club  returned  to  the  shore  delighted 
with  this  slight  foretaste  of  the  pleasures  in 
store  for  them. 

"It's  real  fun!"  said  Kate  Bilder  to  lier 
companions,  who  had  been  watching  the  experi- 
ment on  the  shore,  as  she  joined  them,  and 
they  walked  towards  home  together. 


THE   DOKCAS   CLUB.  151 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    cashier's    FAMH^Y. 

PRINCE  WILLINGOOD  had  lost  all  the 
books  he  carried  home  in  the  fire,  and  if 
he  had  possessed  any  more  clothes  than  those 
into  which  he  had  so  hastily  put  himself  when 
the  alarm  was  given,  he  would  have  lost  them. 
Having-  little  or  nothing  to  lose,  he  lost  little  or 
nothing  by  saving  his  uncle  rather  than  his 
l;()oks,  his  two  or  three  shirts,  and  a  couple  of 
pairs  of  coarse  socks.  It  had  never  struck  him 
so  before,  but  doul)tkss  he  was  fortunate  in 
having  so  little  to  lose.  Happy  are  they  that 
have  nothing  to  lose,  for  they  shall  lose  nothing, 
and  poverty  has  sometimes  its  compensating 
advantages,  though,  on  the  whole,  it  is  not  con- 
venient and  comfortable  to  be  poor.  Certainly 
no  one  would  desire  to  be  poor  for  the  sake  of 
escaping  loss  by  fire.       Of  the  brass   kettle    and 


152  THE    DORCA.S    CLUB. 

the  valubles  in  the  cellar,  Prince  knew  nothing, 
and  therefore  he  had  no  regrets  for  them. 

He  waited  till  the  fire  had  consumed  the 
house  in  which  the  greater  part  of  his  chcerles-s 
life  had  been  passed.  There  was  nothing  Ici't 
of  it  but  a  few  smouldering  embers,  which  tlic 
firemen  were  drenching  with  water,  and  which 
were  soon  as  black  and  cold  as  the  night  itself. 
Several  of  the  neighbors  had  offered  him  the 
hospitality  of  their  houses,  and  he  had  accepted 
that  of  the  cashier,  who  showed  him  to  tlio 
spare  chamber  of  his  unpretentious  dwelling.  Ho 
heard  Mr.  Longimore  go  out  again,  as  lie  was 
getting  into  bed,  and  presently  distinguished  liis 
voice  and  that  of  his  uncle,  as  they  spoke  to- 
gether in  the  street.  He  could  not  tell  what 
they  said,  but  he  readily  understood  that  the 
miser  was  bitterly  bemoaning  his  loss,  and  prob- 
ably the  cashier  was  trying  to  comfort  him.  But 
Prince  was  tired,  and  he  soon  dropped  asleep. 

When  he  awoke  in  the  morning,  lie  heard  the 
clock  strike  seven.  He  had  intended  to  get  up 
earlier,  in  order  to  ascertain,  before  he  went  to 
school,  what  his  uncle  desired  to  do  in  regard 
to  his  future  residence,  and  to  assist  him,  if    he 


THE    DOKCAS    CLUB.  153 

could.  When  be  went  down  stairs,  lie  was 
kindly  greeted  by  Mrs.  Longimore  and  Mollic, 
who  bad  not  before  been  aware  of  bis  presence 
in  tbe  bouse.  Breakfast  was  all  ready,  and  tbe 
family  appeared  to  be  waiting  for  tbo  cashier. 
Prince  said  be  woidd  go  and  see  what  bad  be- 
come of  bis  uncle. 

"  But  don't  go  till  after  breakfast.  Prince,'' 
interposed  Mrs.  Longimore.  "  It  is  all  ready, 
and  we  are  only  waiting  for  father  to  come 
in." 

"  I  thank  you,  Mrs.  Longimore  ;  but  I  think 
I  will  not  rentain,"  replied  the  young  man. 
"My  uncle  may  want  me." 

"  He  must  be  at  the  house  of  one  of  the 
neighbors,  and  he  will  stay  there  till  after  break- 
fast." 

"  No  ;  I  beard  him  say  he  should  stay  at  the 
vacant  bouse  down  the  street." 

"  But  that  is  not  furnished;  he  could  not  stay 
there." 

"  I  only  know  what  he  said." 

"But  there  will  be  no  breakfast  there  for  you," 
persisted  the  good  lady. 

"Why   can't   you  stay,  Prince?"  added    Mol- 


154  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

lie.  "  Wc  shall  all  be  very  glad  to  have  you 
do  so." 

"  And  I  will  not  keep  you  waiting,"  con- 
tinued Mrs.  Longimorc,  proceeding  to  place  tlio 
breakfast  upon  the  table.  "We  tvill  sit  down, 
and  father  will  be  here  in  a  few  moments.  Ho 
sometimes  goes  over  to  the  bank  before  break- 
fast ;  but  he  always  comes  home  punctually  at 
[■even  o'clock.  I  can't  think  what  keeps  him. 
Perhaps  Mr.  Bushwell  wanted  to  see  him  about 
the  fire." 

Prince  yielded  to  these  pressing  invitations, 
and  partook  of  the  meal  ^\ith  the  family.  When 
it  was  hnished,  Mr.  Longimore  had  not  appeared ; 
but  neither  his  wife  nor  his  daughter  felt  any 
anxiety  in  regard  to  him. 

"  Our  house  is  always  open  to  you,  Prince  ; 
and  I  hope  you  will  stay  with  us  till  your  uncle 
gets  settled  again,"  said  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  Thank  you ;  but  I  think  the  vacant  hou^o 
will  be  ready  for  us  to  sleep  in  by  night,  replied 
Prince,  as  he  left  the  hospitable  home  of  his 
friends. 

He  walked  down  the  street  to  the  dwelling 
where  Fox  Bushwell  had  taken  refuge  from  the 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  155 

cold  and  the  night.  Mrs.  Pining  was  ah-eadj' 
there  ;  for  as  soon  as  she  finished  her  breakfast, 
she  hastened,  with  fear  and  treniljhng,  to  ascer- 
tain whether  the  money-lender  was  ruined  or 
not,  or  whether  or  not  the  few  hundred  dollars 
which  constituted  all  her  worldly  wealth  was 
hopelessly  lost.  She  was  as  miserable  then  as 
even  Mrs.  Pining  could  be,  and  her  capacity  for 
being  miserable  was  immense.  The  pine  bureau 
in  the  old  house,  which  had  contained  her  very 
limited  wardrobe,  had  been  burned.  Even  the 
note  which  Fox  Bushwell  had  given  her  for  the 
money  he  owed  her  was  destroyed.  She  had  had 
only  time  to  save  her  own  withered  frame,  when 
the  alarm  was  given. 

"Sufferin',  dyin'  world!"  moaned  she,  as  Fox 
Bushwell  admitted  her  to  the  vacant  house. 
"  Everything's  gone  to  ruin  ;  and  there  ain't  no 
hope  o'  nothing  in  this    world." 

"It  isn't  so  bad  as  it  might  be,  Mrs.  Pining." 
replied  Fox  Bushwell.  "  I  had  a  thousand  dol- 
lars insurance  on  the  house ;  and  that's  a  thing 
I  never  had  till  about  a  month  ago.  But  that 
isn't  anything  to  what  I've  lost.  It  won't  begin 
to  cover  the  loss,"  he  added  as  if  troubled 
by  a  suspicion  that  he  had  admitted  too  much. 


156  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  There  ain't  no  peace  for  the  wicked  in  this 
world,  goodness  knows!"  groaned  Mrs.  Pining, 
not  much  comforted  hj  the  words  of  the  money- 
lender. "  My  two  lace  caps  is  both  gone  !  I 
never  wore  'em  only  when  I  went  visitin';  and 
now  I  hain't  got  nothing  to  wear.  INIy  black 
gown  I  wore  to  Ezra's  funeral  is  gone  to  dust 
and  ashes,  and  I  hain't  got  nothin'  but  the  cal- 
liker  I  got  on,  when  the  smoke  eena'most 
choked  me.  My  stockin's,  my  flannel  petticoat, 
and  my  wallet,  with  two  dollars  o'  money  in  it, 
's  all  gone,  and  I  shan't  git  no  good  on  'em ! 
Sufferin',  dyin' !     What  are  we  comin'  to?" 

"  I  lost  a  good  deal  more  than  you  have,  Mrs. 
Pining.  I  don't  know  but  I'm  ruined — I  can't 
tell  yet.  We  must  bear  up  in  times  of  affliction, 
and  try  to  be  resigned." 

''  I  can't  be  resigned ;  and  tain't  no  use  to 
try.  Dyin'  world !  I  hain't  got  nothin'  left," 
groaned  the  widow,  wiping  the  tears  from  her 
sunken  eyes  with  the  handkerchief  found  in  the 
pocket  of  the  "  calliker."  "  You  owe  me  four 
hundred  dollars,  Mr.  Bushwell." 

This  last  remark  was  hurled  with  energy  at 
the  head  of  the  money-lender,  while  the  old  lady 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  137 

fixed  a  gaze  of  the  most  pitiful  anxiety  upon 
him.  She  did  not  say  that  the  note  had  been 
burned  ;  perhaps  she  knew  her  employer  too 
well  to  make  such  a  damaging  admission. 

"  It  isn't  worth  while  to  say  anything  about 
that  just  now,"  rephed  Fox  BushwelL  "We  arc 
all  in  affliction.  My  house  and  all  that  I  have 
ar3  burned;  but  the  Lord  tempers  the  wind  to 
tliG  slioni  lamb." 

"  You    ain't    the    shorn    lamb,  Mr.  Bushwell ! 

I'm  that  creetur!"  groaned  Mrs.  Pining.     "I'm 

shorn    of    all  my  wool  —  my    woollen    stockin's, 

-my     flannel      petticoat,      my     bombazine     gown 

and —  " 

"  We  will  not  speak  of  those  things  now, 
Mrs.  Pining.  Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  he  will 
liclp  you,"  replied  the    miser,  evasively. 

"■  I  know  that  ;  but  you  told  me  that  the  Lord 
don't  help  nobody  but  those  that  helps  them- 
solve. i;  and  I  want  some  o'  that  money  you  owe 
me,  to  buy  some  things  with  right  off.  Suf- 
f^rin',  dyin' !     I  hain't  got  nothing  to   wear!" 

"  I'm  not  ready  to  speak  of  such  things  yet. 
I'm  in  affliction  ;  I'm  suffering  under  a  terrible 
loss." 


158  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"Don't  you  owe  me  four  hundred  dollars, 
i\Ir.  Bushwell?"  demanded  Mrs.  Pining. 

''  What  if  I  do  ?  I'm  in  no  condition  to  pay 
it  now." 

At  that  moment  Prince  entered  the  room,  and 
heard  his  uncle's  reply. 

"  Did  you  hear  that.  Prince?  "  she  asked,  turn- 
ing sharply  upon  the  young  man. 

"Hear  what?" 

"  What  your  uncle  said." 

"I   did." 

"  You  heard  him  say  he  owed  me  four  hun- 
dred dollars  —  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  I  heard  him  say  what  amounted  to  that," 
replied  Prince,  quietly. 

"  But  I  said  I  could  not  pay  her  now,"  pro- 
tested Fox  Bushwell. 

"  I  don't  want  the  whole  on't  now.  I  hain't 
had  nothin'  for  two  year ;  and  I  want  the  in- 
terest on't  hoAV." 

"  Very  well  ;  I  will  pay  you  the  interest  to- 
day or  to-morrow,  or  as  soon  as  I  can  get  my 
insurance,"  whined  Fox  Bushwell. 

"  You  hear,  Prince,"  gasped  Mrs.  Pining. 
"  Your  luicle's  note  I  had  was  burnt  up  in  the 
fire  :  and  I  wanted  to  know  how  I  stood." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  159 

"It  was!"  exclaimed  the  money-lender,  with 
tlie  feeling  that  he  had  been  very  weak  in 
admitting  the  debt,  though  he  had  never  given 
llie  housekeeper  credit  for  the  strategy  she  had 
exercised. 

"■  Yes,  it  was ;  and  two  dollars  o'  money 
besides." 

Fox  Bushwell  had  admitted  that  he  owed  the 
money  in  the  presence  of  a  witness.  It  Avas 
too  late  to    recede,    and   he    did   not   attempt   to 

do    so. 

''  Uncle  Bushwell,  m};-  books  were  burned,  and 
pome  other  things ;  and  I  should  like  my  ten 
dollars  for  next  month  now,"  said  Prince,  when 
IMrs.  Fining's  case  was  settled. 

"Ten  dollars  again!"  gasped  the  guardian. 

"  For  next  month." 

"  This  isn't  the  time  to  ask  for  money.  I  was 
burned  out  last  night,  and  lost  nearly  every- 
thing I  have  in  the   world." 

"  Not  quite  so  bad  as  that.  You  have  money 
in  the  bank."- 

"  I  can't  let  you  have  it  now." 

"  Then  I  must  borrow  it,  which  will  compel 
me   to  say  that  I  could   not   get    the   money   of 


ICO  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

you,"  added  Prince,  who  knew  very  well  that 
his  uncle's  loss  by  the  fire  was  trivial,  compared 
with  his  possessions. 

Fox  Bushwell  groaned  and  parleyed  for  some 
time,  but  at  last  he  took  the  ten  dollars  from 
his  pocket  and  gave  it  to  his  ward. 

"'  What's  going  to  be  done,  uncle  Bushwell?" 
asked  Prince,  as  he  put  the  money  away. 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  We  must  live  in  this 
house ;  and  I  sliall  lose  the  rent  of  it,  or  the 
chance  to  sell  it,  till  I  can  build  up  the  other. 
I  heard  yesterday  that  Captain  Seeboard  was 
going  out  west,  and  wanted  to  sell  his  furniture. 
I  sliall  try  to  buy  it,  if  he  will  sell  it  cheap 
enough,"  replied  Fox  Bushwell.  "  Everything's 
going  to  ruin  witli  me.  I  don't  know  where  I'm 
coming  out." 

"  You  liaveu't  lost  much,  if  the  house  was 
insured,"  added  Prince. 

"  More  than  you  have  any  idea  of.  I  Avas 
poor  before,  and  I'm  poorer  now." 

"Were  your  papers   burned,  uncle?" 

"  Some  of  them  were.  I  don't  know  yet  what 
I  have  lost." 

Fox  Bushwell  was  not  inclined  to  talk  on  this 


Tiri<:    I);  >  no  AS    CLUB.  10 1 

subject,  and  Prince  left  him,  to  go  to  school. 
On  the  way,  he  bought  new  books  and  station- 
eiy,  to  replace  what  had  been  destroyed.  His 
written  exercises,  prepared  with  so  much  care 
on  that  Monday  evening,  were  all  burned ;  but 
of  course  he  was  excused  from  the  recitations, 
and,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  he  re-wrote  them. 
At  recess  the  talk  among  the  scholars  was  in 
regard  to  the  fire,  and  Prince  was  obliged  to 
answer  the  same  questions  a  hundred  times. 
Mollie  Longimore  was  absent  that  day,  and  there 
were  many  inquries  in  regard  to  her,  to  which 
110  one  was  able  to  reply.  After  school,  Prince, 
concluding  there  would  be  no  dinner  in  the  new 
house  for  him,  went  to  a  restaurant  for  the 
meal.  There,  for  the  first  time,  he  heard  of  the 
disappearance  of  Mr.  Longimore.  No  one  had 
seen  him  that  day,  and  his  keys  of  the  bank 
and  the  vault  could  not  be  found.  The  porter 
had  opened  the  rooms  as  usual,  but  no  cashier 
had  made  his  appearance.  The  president,  who 
had  duplicate  keys  of  the  vault,  had  been  away, 
and  did  not  return  till  noon,  so  that  no  business 
could  be  done  before  his  return.  Those  in  the 
saloon  had  not  heard  what  transpired  after  the 
arrival  of  the  president.  ^      (H) 


1G2  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

Pjincc  Avas  thunderstruck  at  this  intelligence, 
and  liardly,  hy  his  eating,  indorsed  the  dinner 
set  before  him.  As  soon  as  he  had  finished  his 
meal,  though  he  did  not  "finish"  the  food  he 
liad  ordered,  he  hastened  to  the  bank  for  fur- 
ther information.  The  directors  had  just  com- 
pleted their  examination  of  the  affairs  of  the 
institution.  The  books  showed  that  the  cashier's 
personal  account  was  balanced ;  the  cash  was  all 
right ;  but,  on  looking  over  the  securities,  it  was 
found  that  the  package  of  bonds  was  missing. 
This  discovery  seemed  to  explain  the  absence  of 
the  cashier. 

The  directors  were  wealthy  men,  and  they 
were  really  more  troubled  by  the  fall  of  such  a 
man  as  they  had  ahvays  believed  the  cashier  to 
be  than  by  the  loss  of  the  property.  No  one 
remembered  to  have  seen  the  package  for  a 
month,  and  they  could  form  no  idea  as  to  when 
it  had  been  removed  from  the  vault.  No  one 
knew  of  au}^  speculations  in  Avhich  the  cashier 
had  l^een  engaged,  and  no  motive  for  his  villan}' 
could  be  assigned. 

Mr.  Longimore  was  gone,  and  the  bonds  were 
^-ne.     This  was  all  that  was  known  ;  but  it  was 


THE    DOKCAS    CLUB.  1^3 

enough  to  satisfy  the  directors.  In  the  mean 
time  a  dihgcnt  search  was  in  progress  for  the 
missing  cashier ;  but  without  any  other  result 
than  has  before  been  mentioned. 

The  first  intimation  of  the  stunning  blow 
which  fell  upon  the  unhappy  family  of  Mr. 
Longimore  was  given  Avhen  the  porter  went  to 
the  house,  at  nine  o'clock,  to  incpiire  wliere 
the  cashier  was.  The  poor  wife  and  the  terri- 
fied daughter  —  the  only  ones  in  that  sad  home 
who  Avere  old  enough  to  understand  and  appre- 
ciate the  possible  calamity — were  almost  para- 
lyzed Avhen  they  learned  that  the  father  had  not 
been  at  the  bank  since  seven  in  the  morning. 
Mrs.  Longimore  had  not  seen  him  since  he  went 
out  to  the  fire  at  midnight.  He  had  not  come 
to  his  chamber  after  that  event.  She  had  seen 
the  letter  on  the  table,  stamped,  and  directed  to 
her  husband's  brother,  which  she  had  sent  to 
the  post-office  immediately  after  breakfast.  She 
had  called  in  her  neighbors  for  help,  and  her 
kind  and  sympatliizing  .friends  had  searched  the 
city  over  for  the  absent  one. 

As  soon  as  Prince  had  obtained  all  the  infor- 
mation that  was    i-o    be    had    at    the     Dank,    he 


164  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

hastened  to  the  home  of  the  cashier,  intent  only 
upon  assisting  and  comforting  his  family,  with 
whom  he  had  long  been  intimate.  The  fact  that 
forty  thousand  dollars  in  bonds  was  missing  had 
already  been  borne  to  Mrs.  Longimore  and  her 
daughter  ;  indeed,  two  of  the  directors  had  been 
there  to  search  the  house  for  them.  The  suspi- 
cion that  the  cashier  had  wrongfully  appropri- 
ated the  property  was  infinitely  more  terrible 
than  the  assurance  of  his  death  Avould  have 
been  to  those  loving  ones.  MolUe  had  fainted 
twice;  but  when  Prince  entered  the  house  the 
effect  of  the  shock  had  passed  away,  though  the 
mother  and  daughter  suffered  hardly  less,  if  their 
demonstrations  were  not  so  violent. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Prince.  Perhaps  jou 
can  tell  us  something  about  him,"  said  INIrs. 
Longimore. 

"Indeed,  I  know  nothing  but  what  I  have 
just  heard  at  the  bank,"  rephed  he  gloomily. 
"  I  was  never  so  shocked  and  astonished  in  my 
life." 

"When  did  you  see  Mr.  Longimore  last?" 

"  I  saw  him  at  the  fire  ;  and  he  came  up  to 
the  house  with  me.       He   showed   me  up  to  the 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  165 

room.  That  was  the  hist  I  saw  of  him.  He 
had  some  business  with  my  uncle  in  the  evening, 
and  I  signed  my  name  as  a  witness  to  some 
papers  which  passed  between  them." 

"  What  papers  were  they  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Lon- 
gimore,  Avitli  interest.       ^ 

"I  don't  know  what  they  were;  I  didn't  stop 
to  read  them. 

'•'•  Tlien  your  uncle  knows." 

"  Of  course  he  does." 

"I  must  see  Mr.  Bush  well  at  once," 

"Can  I  do  anything  to  help  you?"  inquired 
Prince.     "  I  am  willing  to  do  everything  I  can.  ' 

"  I  wish  you  wonld  go  with  me  to  your 
uncle,"  added  the  poor  wife. 

"  I  will,  and  he  shall  tell  you  all  about  the 
papers,"  replied  Prince. 

But  before  they  left  the  house,  Mr.  Doane, 
the  president  of  the  bank,  came  in.  Mrs.  Lon- 
gimore  told  him  what  Prince  had  said ;  and  any- 
thing which  promised  to  throw  light  upon  tire 
conduct  of  the  cashier  was  full  of  interest.  Mr. 
Doane  decided  to  accompany  them  to  the  new 
home  of  the  money-lender.  They  found  Fox 
Bushwell   and  Mrs.    Pining    busily    engaged    in 


1G6  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

arranging  a  load  of  second-hand  furniture,  which 
had  just  been  delivered  at  the  house.  The  miser 
had  bought  out  the  contents  of  Captain  See- 
board's  house  for  a  mere  song,  so  anxious  was 
the  late  owner  of  it  to  start  for  his  new  loca- 
tion in  the  west.  The  articles  were  very  plain, 
and  most  of  them  much  worn  ;  in  fact,  they 
were  not  much  better  than  those  which  had 
been  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  the  night  before. 

"You  seem  to  be  very  busy,  Mr.  Bushwell ; 
but  we  must  disturb  you  for  a  short  time,"  said 
Mr.  Doane. 

"  I  can't  stop  for  anything  now,"  replied  Fox 
Bushwell,  furtively ;  and  it  must  be  acknowledged 
that  the  president  of  the  bank  was  not  a  wel- 
come visitor  at  the  new  home. 

"  We  will  not  detain  you  long ;  and  I  think 
3'ou  and  Mrs.  Pining  need  a  little  rest." 

"Sufferin',  dyin' !  Goodness  knows  I  need 
it  I "  added  the  housekeeper. 

"  I  heard  that  3^ou  had  some  business  with 
Mr.  Longimore  last  evening,"  continued  Mr. 
Doane. 

"I  don't  know  that  it  concerns  anybody  but 
the  cashier  and  me,"  whined  Fox  Bushwell.  " 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  167 

"I  doii''t  know  that  it  does;  but  you  will  find 
it  for  your  interest,  under  present  circumstances, 
to  tell  what  it  was,"  added  the  president,  rather 
sharply,  for  he  knew  his  man  too  well  to  stand 
upon  au}^  ceremony  with  him.  "  Some  papers 
passed  between  j^ou  and  him  last  evening." 

"There  wasn't  anything  wrong  about  that  — 
was  there?  " 

*•'  I  don't  know  yet.  What  were  those  papers?" 
demanded  Mr.  Doane. 

"  Well,  you  see,  Mr.  Longimore  got  into  a 
little  difficulty." 

Fox  Bushwell  paused,  as  if  doubtful  whether 
it  was  prudent  for  him  to  proceed.  Mrs.  Lon- 
gimore actually  trembled  with  emotion,  and 
wiped  away  the  tears  that  blinded  her  eyes,  for 
the  money-lender's  statement,  so  far,  seemed  to 
confirm  her  worst  fears. 

"What  was  the  difficulty?"  asked  the  presi- 
dent, sharply. 

"  He  said  he  hadn't  stole  anything  from  the 
bank,  or  done  anything  wrong,"  mumbled  Fox 
Bushwell. 

"Did  he  say  that?  "  exclaimed  the  poor  wife. 

"  That's  just  what  he  said;  and  I  don't  believe 
he  ever  did  anything  out  of  the  way." 


168  THE  DOECAS   CLUB. 

"  But  what  were  the  papers  that  passed  be- 
tween you?"  repeated  Mr.  Doane,  impatiently. 

"  I  was  just  going-  ,to  tell  you.  Mr.  Longi- 
more  got  into  a  little  difficulty." 

"  You  said  that  before." 

"He  has  had  a  good  deal  of  sickness  in  his 
family,  and  had  to  pay  a  good  deal  of  money 
for  doctor's  bills." 

"  How  well  I  know  it !  "  sighed  Mrs.  Longi- 
more. 

"  I  don't  believe  in  paying  so  much  money  to 
doctors.  They  can't  do  much  good;  and  we  are 
all  in  the  Lord's  hands." 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  the  papers  were,  or 
shall  I  take  the  next  step?"  interposed  the 
president.  "  You  said  Mr.  Longimore  got  into 
a  little  difficulty.     Now,  go   on." 

"  The  long  and  the  short  of  it  is,  he  had 
overdrawn  his  wages.  He  owed  the  bank  live 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars.  Mr.  Longimore 
was  honest;  nobody  can  say  he  was  not." 

"  I  saw  that  his  account  had  been  balanced 
by  the  payment  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  dol- 
lars;  and  I  found  your  check  for  that  amount." 

"  I  let  him  have  the  money,  and  he  gave   me 


THE    DORCAS   CLUB.  1G9 

his  note,"  added  Fox  Bushwell;  be  did  not   say 
for  }io\v  much. 

"What  was  the  other  paper?  "  demanded  Mr. 
Doane,  as  if  ho  liad  a  right  to  know. 

'^  That  was  tlie  security  he  gave  me,"  repHed 
the  money-lender^  with  a  doubtful  glance  a.t  the 
cashier's  wife. 

"What  was  the  security?" 

"  I  don't  tliink  tliat  makes  any  difference." 

Mr.  Doane  insisted  upon  knowing,  and  Fox 
Bushwell  said  that  it  was  a  bill  of  sale  of  the 
cashier's  furniture  and  piano.  Then  the  amount 
of  the  note  Avas  wrung  from  him  ;  and  the  presi- 
dent was  utterly  disgusted. 

"  When  did  you  see  Mr.  Longimore  last  ? " 
asked  he. 

"I  saw  him  at  the  fire." 

'■'  Was  that  the  last  time?" 

•■'Well,  no,  it  was  not,"  whined  the  miser. 

'-'■  When  was  the  hist  time  ?  " 

"•  He  came  here  about  daylight  this  morning, 
to  bring  me  a  bundle  of  papers  I  left  at  the 
bank,"  replied  Fox  Bushwell,  taking  the  pack- 
age from  his  pocket. 

Mr.  Doane  examined    tl\o    papers    very    care- 


170  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

fully,  and  assured  himself  that  not  a  single  hond 
was  among  them. 

"What  did  he  say  to  you?" 

"Nothing  at  all.  He  gave  me  the  papers, 
and  left  right  off." 

"  Did  he  say  where  he  was   going  ?  " 

"Not  a  word;  but  I  thought  he  looked  and 
acted  very  wild,"  said  the  money-lender. 

"  Why  did  he  bring  you  these  pa[)ers  at  sucli 
a  time  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  ;  he  said  I  might  want  them, 
I  think.     Then  he  went  off." 

Fox  Bushwell  stuck  to  his  text,  and  the  presi- 
dent left  the  house  apparently  satisfied.  Mi  ;. 
Longimore  could  obtain  no  further  inroimatitu 
from  him,  and  she  went  home,  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  the  furniture  and  piano  were  to  1  e 
taken  from  her  in  ten  days.  Prince  went  down 
to  the  boat-builder's,  to  assist  him  in  searching 
for  the  body  of  the  cashier. 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  171 


CHAPTER    IX. 

"WHAT    THE    DORCAS    SOCIETY   DID. 

HOWEVER  fascinated  with  boats  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Dovcas  Society  had  become, 
they  had  no  thought  of  abandoning  tlie  original 
object  of  the  association,  which  was  to  do  good 
to  the  needy.  Their  labors  had  not  been  con- 
fined to  the  perishing  classe?  ;  to  those  who 
may  be  publicly  assisted  with  food  and  clotli- 
ing  ;  but  the  society  even  had  a  precedent  for 
its  action  in  the  case  of  the  Longimorcs.  A 
lady,  who  had  supported  her  invalid  mother  by 
teaching  in  one  of  the  public  schools,  was  obliged 
to  resign  her  situation  on  account  of  her  own 
ill  health.  She  was  too  proud  to  ask  for  hclj^ 
when  her  scanty  means  failed,  l)ut  Xcllie  Pai- 
terdale,  who  had  once  been  her  pupil,  called 
to  see  her,  and  discovered  enough  to  satisfy  licr 
tRat  her  old  teacher  was    actually  suffeiing  from 


172  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

want.  She  stated  the  case  to  the  Dorcas  Societ}^ 
and  a  sum  of  money  for  the  poor  invahd  was 
raised  among  the  nabobs  as  privately  as  tlie 
boat  money  had  been  levied,  and  without  tlu 
knowledge  of  the  public,  over  a  hundred  d(jllais 
Avas  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  invalid. 

While  the  Lily  Club  were  taking  their  fnv^ 
lesson  in  rowing,  Nellie  Patterdale  and  Minnie 
Darling  called  at  the  house  of  the  cashier.  Mrs. 
Longimore  and  Mollie  were  tolerably  calm, 
though  they  had  learned  that  even  the  furniture 
in  the  house  was  to  be  taken  from  them  in  a 
few  days.  Their  eyes  were  red  with  weeping, 
but  their  tears  had  ceased  to  flow,  and  they 
seemed  to  be  waiting  for  the  calamity  to  spend 
itself  upon  them.  Poor  Mollie,  without  giving 
them  expression,  had  begun  to  think  great 
thoughts.  While  her  mother  was  at  Fox  Bush- 
Av ell's,  she  was  considering  the  plan  of  obtaining 
young  pupils  on  the  piano,  and  she  was  sure 
that  her  friends  would  help  her  to  obtain  them. 
It  was  a  relief  to  her  to  think  that  she  could  thus 
save  her  mother  and  the  children  from  positive 
want.  Her  mother  came  back  with  the  sad 
intelligence  that  every  article  of  furniture  in  the 


THE    DOR,CA;j    CLUB.  173 

house  was  owned  hy  the  money-lender,  even  to 
the  piano,  upon  whicli  she  depended  for  the 
future.  Though  she  might  give  the  lessons  at 
the  homes  of  lier  pupils,  she  needed  the  instru- 
ment for  her  owii  practiee.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances, it  was  little  that  Nellie  and  IMiu- 
nie  could  say  to  comfort  Mollie  and  her  mother. 
"  I  cannot  believe  that  my  husband  took 
tliose  bonds,"  said  Mrs  Longimore.  "It  is  less 
painful  for  me  to  believe  that  he  is  dead,  than 
that  he  lias  done  so  great  a    Avrong." 

"I  cannot  believe  it;,  mother!"  exclaimed 
i\IolIie,  trembling  with  emotion.  "  You  do  not 
beUeve  it,   Nellie  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  v/illing  to  believe  it,"  replied  Nel- 
lie. ?  " 

"  My  father  was  always  so  good  and  so  kind ! 
I  am  sure  he  would  not  do  anything  wrong.  I 
know  there  is  some  terrible  mistake.  If  the 
boiids  are  gone,  some  one  else  took  them." 

The  visitors  could  not  say  anything.  Without 
knowing  much  about  the  facts,  they  could  not 
help  feeling  that  appearances  were  altogether 
against  the  cashier. 

"  I  can  only  hope  for  the  best,"    added    Mrs. 


174  THE    DOKCAS    CLUB. 

Longimore.  "  It  appears  that  my  husband  had 
overdrawn  his  salary.  He  did  not  say  anything 
to  me,  but  he  was  terribly  worried.  Our  ex- 
penses were  very  large  during  the  winter,  and 
he  Avas  in  debt  before.  But  rather  than  wrong 
the  bank  out  of  a  single  dollar,  he  borrowed 
enough  of  i\Ir.  Bushwell  to  make  himself  square 
with  the  bank.  I  cannot  think  he  would  have 
done  this,  if  he  intended  to  leave,  and  take 
those  bonds." 

"  It  is  very  strange,"  said  Nellie. 

"No  man  was  more  devoted  to  his  family 
than  Mr.  Longimore  ;  but  he  gave  a  bill  of  sale 
of  all  the  furniture  in  the  house,  rather  than 
even  seem  to  wrong  the  bank,"  pleaded  the 
poor  Avife.     "  I  cannot  understand  it." 

"Did  he  sell  your  furniture?"  asked  Minnie 
Darling. 

"  I  don't  exactly  comprehend  the  matter,  but 
I  believe  that  Mr.  Bushwell  can  take  every- 
thing we  have  in  the  house,  if  the  note  my 
husband  gave  is  not  paid  in  ten  da3's." 

"  That  is  awful !  "  exclaimed  Nellie,  satisfied 
that  even  the  Dorcas  Societ}^,  with  all  its 
resources,  could  not  meet  so  grave  a  case  as 
this. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUD.  175 

"  I  haven't  a  single  dollar  in  the  house,  and 
our  bills  at  the  provision  store  and  the  gro- 
cer}^ are  un^^aid,"  added  Mrs.  Longimore,  with 
a  shudder. 

Nellie  looked  at  Minnie,  and  the  look  was 
interpreted  to  mean,  "  Now  is  your  time  io 
act." 

"We  are  very  sorry,"  said  Nellie,  tenderly. 
"  We  have  done  nothing  but  think  of  Mollie 
since  we  heard  what  had  happened." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Minnie,  to  think  of  us. 
I  don't  know  w^hat  will  become  of  us.  Mr. 
Bushwell  is  a  hard  man,  and  of  course  he  will 
take  .ill  our  things,  if  the  money  is  not  paid," 
added  the  cashier's  wife.  "Even  if  he  don't,  I 
have  not  the  courage  to  send  to  the  butcher  and 
the  grocer  for  Avhat  I  know  I  have  no  meany 
of  paying  for.  I  have  no  friends  who  are  able 
to  help  me,  but — " 

The  remark  was  cut  short  by  the  president 
of  the  Dorcas  Society,  wlio  stepped  up  to  Mrs. 
Longimore,  and  presented  to  her  one  of  the 
white  envelopes,  which  contained  one  hundred 
dollars.  It  was  directed  to  the  cashier's  wife, 
and  had  been  prepared  to    be  delivered    to    her 


176  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

ill  tlie  best  way  Uie  circumstances  would  per- 
mit. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Longimore, 
turning-  the  envelope  over  very  curiously,  as 
thougii  she  feared  it  contained  the  news  of  an 
additional  calamity. 

"It  will  speak  for  itself;  and  I  hope  you  will 
not  be  offended,"  added  Nellie.  "  No  one  but 
our  society  knows  anything  about  this  business." 

The  afflicted  lady  opened  the  envelope,  and 
took  out  the  bills,  and  the  note  it  contained, 
which  she  read.  The  tears  flowed  afresh  from 
her  eyes  as  she  did  so ;  and  Mollie,  when  she 
saw  the  roll  of  bills,  readily  comprehended  the 
meaning  of  the  note.  Perhaps  she  blushed; 
certainly  she  wept  Avith  her  mother, 

*'  I  know  not  what  to  say,"  stammered  Mrs. 
Longimore.  "  I  was  not  prepared  to  ask  for 
assistance,  even  of  my  husband's  relatives,  some 
of  whom  arc  in  good  circumstances." 

•'  You  have  not  asked  for  it;  but  it  has  come 
without  asking,"  replied  Minnie.  "  We  are  a 
thousand  times  happier  to  offer -you  this  aid  than 
you  can  be  to  receive   it." 

"  I  do  not  foci  willing  to  take  this  money," 
said  Mrs.   Lonaimore. 


THE    DOUCAS    CLUB.  177 

"Do  not,  mother,"  added  Mollie. 

"  You  will  grieve  us  very  much  if  you  do 
not,"  persisted  Minnie.         , 

Nellie  related  the  whole  story  of  the  raisiiifj 
of  the  money  for  the  l)oat,  and  of  the  vote 
appropriating  a  portion  of  it  for  the  Longi- 
mores. 

"You  must  take  it,"  said  Minnie,  warml}-. 
"  We  must  do  just  what  we  are  ordered  by  the 
society,  and  we  have  no  power  to  take  it  back. 
We  hope  things  will  be  brighter  with  you  ;  and 
when  you  are  al)le,  you  may  return  the  money 
to  the  society." 

"  I  will  take  it  as  a  loan,"  answered  Mrs. 
Longimore,  when  she  thought  again  that,  with- 
out it,  her  children  mugt  go  to  bed  hungry. 

"And  you  must  not  mention  that -you  received 
it,  for  every  one  of  our  society  is  pledged  to 
secrecy." 

"  You  have  removed  one  heavy  load  from  my 
mind,"  replied  the  poor  lady,  wiping  away  her 
tears.  '  If  my  husband  is  alive,  he  will  surely 
return,  and  I  shall  consider  this  debt  a  sacred 
one." 

"  Don't  do  that ;  don't  think  of  paying  it," 
12 


178  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

added  Minnie.     "  We  have  more  for  you  as  soon 
as  you  need  it." 

"I  am  sure  no  one  ever  had  such  kind 
friends,"  sobbed  Mollie. 

"  You  must  be  as  kind  as  they  are,  then,  and 
permit  them  to  do  all  they  can  for  you.  This 
is  really  the  greatest  kindness  3^ou  can  do  them. 
All  the  girls  love  you,  Mollie,  and  they  pity 
you  in  your  grief  more  than  they  can  tell," 
said  Nelhe,  taking  the  httle  hand  of  the  troubled 
maiden. 

''I  did  not  think  I  should  ever  need  your 
help,"  added  poor  Mollie. 

"■  As  you  have  done  for  others,  now  let  others 
do  for  you,"  pleaded  Nelhe,  as  she  and  Minnie 
left  the  house. 

In  the  street  they  met  Prince,  who  was  going 
home  after  the  unavailing  search  for  the  body 
of  the  cashier.  They  asked  him  about  the  bill 
of  sale  ;  but  he  knew  no  more  than  the  Longi- 
mores  concerning  the  transaction.  The  cashier 
had  agreed  to  pay  one  hundred  dollars  for  the 
use  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  for  ten  days. 
The  bill  of  sale  Avas  dated  ten  days  ahead,  and, 
without  any  further  steps,  the    furnitui-e    would 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  179 

belong  to  the  money-lender  at  the  expiration  of 
that  time. 

"But  will  your  uncle  take  the  furniture  away 
from  the  poor  family  in  ten  days?"  asked 
Miiniie. 

"  I  never  knew  him  to  let  up  on  a  debtor 
yet,"  replied  Prince.  "He  is  a  Shylock,  and^ 
would  take  the  pound  of  flesh,  if  it  were  his 
due." 

"It  is  awful  to  think  of!  Why,  he  will  turn 
them  out  of  liouso  and  home  !  " 

"He  is  used  to  such  things." 

"But  cannot  something  be  done?"  asked 
Nellie. 

"I  don't  know;  we  will  see.  If  I  can  pre- 
vent him  from  taking  the  things,  you  may  be 
sure  I  should  do  so,"  said  Prince,  decidedly. 
"  For  m}^  part,  I  don't  see  what  is  to  become 
of  the  family.  I  hear  that  Mr.  Longimore  was 
in  debt  besides  what  he  owed  the  bank  ;  and  I 
don't  believe  they  have  anything  to  live  on." 

Prince  was  really  troubled  about  this  matter. 
He  wished  he  was  twenty-one,  and  had  his 
property  in  his  own  hands ;  lie  could  solve  the 
problem  then    without  troubling    any  one.     But 


ISO  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

he  might  as  well  tiy  to  squeeze  milk  out  of  a 
paving-stone  as  to  get  money  enough  for  the 
occasion  out  of  his  guardian.  Minnie  looked  at 
Nellie,  and  smiled. 

"  Shall  I  ?  "  said  she,    mysteriously. 

"  Yes  ;  he  is  our  Mercury  more  than  any 
other  boy,"  replied  Nellie. 

Under  the  promise  of  secrecy,  the  president 
told  him  what  the  Dorcas  Society  had  done. 
Prince  was  rejoiced  ;  and,  as  he  was  a  constant 
visitor  at  the  house  of  the  Longimores,  he 
promised  to  look  after  them,  and  agreed  to  do 
Avhatever  work  they  might  require.  He  would 
have  done  all  this  without  a  suggestion  from 
any  one  ;  but  he  was  willing  to  give  the  Dorcas 
Society  the  entire  credit  of  taking  care  of  the 
sufferers. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  he  reached  the  new 
home  of  his  uncle.  So  hard  had  Fox  Bushwell 
and  the  housekeeper  worked  during  the  after- 
noon, that  the  house  was  in  condition  to  be 
occupied.  The  cooking-stove  and  the  bedsteads 
had  been  put  up,  and  the  rest  of  the  furniture 
placed.  Supper  was  ready,  and  Prince  partook 
of  the    meal  with  them.     Though  it  consisted  of 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  181 

tea,  baker's  hread  and  butter,  it  was  better  than 
usual,  for  Mrs.  Pining  had  had  no  opportunity 
to  spoil  good  "rye  and  Indian"  by  making 
them  into  loaves. 

"  What's  tlie  news,  Prince  ? "  asked  Fox 
Bushwell  as  they  seated  themselves  at  tlie  table. 

"  There  is  nothing  more,"  replied  the  young 
man,  "  No  trace  of  M]-.  Longimore  has  been 
found." 

"  Somebody  said  his  handkerchief  had  been 
found  on  a  wharf,  and  that  a  boat  was  missing  : 
is  that  so  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  and  the  boat  was  kept  at  the  wliarf 
where  the  handkerchief  was  found,"  added 
Prince. 

"I  think  there  isn't  much  doubt  that  he  has 
drowned  himself." 

"Why  should  he  drown  himself?" 

"Because  he  had  taken  the  bonds,  and  was 
afraid  of  exposure.  I  am  inclined  to  tliink  he 
was  insane.  He  looked  as  wild  as  a  hawk  when 
he  came  to  me  in  the  morning,"  said  the  money- 
lender. 

"  If  he  drowned  himself,  do  you  suppose  he 
had  the  bonds  with  him  when  he  did  so  ? " 
asked  Prince. 


1S2  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  can't  form  any  idea.  It  is 
the  strangest  thing  I  ever  heard  of  in  all  my 
life." 

"If  he  meant  to  run  away,  or  commit  suicide, 
why  did  he  borrow  that  money  of  you  to  square 
his  accounts  with  the  bank  ?  " 

"That's  what  puzzles  me,"  added  Fox  Bush- 
well.  "  I  didn't  want  to  lend  him  that  money. 
I  didn't  feel  safe  to  do  it.  I  wouldn't  have 
done  it,  if  he  hadn't  helped  me  about  my 
business." 

"And  he  was  to  pay  you  a  hundred  dollars 
for  the  use  of  it  for  ten  days?  "  queried  Prince, 
who  did  not  quite  comprehend  his  uncle's  way 
of  doing  a  friend  a  favor. 

"  It  was  risk}^  business,  you  see." 

"  When  he  gave  you  a  bill  of  sale  of  his 
furniture  ?  " 

"  That  kind  of  security  isn't  worth  much, 
Prince.  Why,  I  gave  only  a  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  all  I  got  of  Captain  Seeboard." 

"Well,  I  should  say  that's  all  it's  worth," 
added  the  young  man,  glancing  around  at  the 
well-worn  articles  in  the  kitchen. 

"  I    couldn't    have    bouo^ht    it    new    for    four 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  133 

hundred.  After  I  heard  that  Longimore  had 
gone  off,  I  thought  I  would  wait  ten  days,  and 
then  his  furniture  will  be  mine,  if  the  note 
iou't  paid ;  and  it  won't  be  now,  of  course. 
But  I  can't  afford  to  have  such  things  in  my 
house  as  the  cashier  had,  though  I  don't  believe 
they'll  bring  five  hundred  dollars  at  auction, 
with  the  piano  in  the  lot." 

"  How  much  would  you  lose  then  ? "  asked 
Prince,  quietly. 

"  The  note  is  for  six  hundred  and  twenty." 

"•  That  is  a  hundred  more  than  you  lent  him," 
added  Prince  quietly. 

"  It  was  his  own  offer.  I  didn't  want  to 
lend  him  the  money  at  any  rate.  It  was  too 
risky,"  replied  Fox  Bushwell,  in  his  whining 
tones.  "  He  said  his  br  )ther  would  let  him  have 
the  money  to  pay  me." 

"Suppose  he  does  not?" 

"Then  I  suppose  I  must  lose  part  of  it." 

"Shall  you  take  the  furniture?" 

"Take  it?  Why  not?  I  can't  afford  to  lose 
the  debt." 

"  It  would  be  to  bad  to  take  everything  from 
the  house  of  the  poor  family." 


184  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

"  It  would  be  too  bad  for  me  to  lose  the 
debt,"  retorted  the  money-lender.  "  I  can't  be 
sentimental  when  I've    lost    my  house    by  fire." 

If  the  young  man  had  any  doubts  before  in 
regard  to  the  intentions  of  his  uncle,  he  had 
them  no  longer.  The  wretch  was  ready  to 
"clean  out"  the  poor  family  as  soon  as  the 
time  came.  The  only  hope  for  the  Longimores 
was,  that  the  cashier's  friends  in  Portland  woidd 
pay  the  debt.  If  they  failed  to  do  so,  Piiuce 
was  ready  to  do  something  to  avert  the  catas- 
trophe, though  as  yet  he  hardly  knew  how  to 
proceed. 

Mrs.  Pining  was  very  weary  after  her  hard 
day's  work,  and  she  retired  at  a  very  early 
hour.  Prince  studied  his  lessons  till  nine  o'clock, 
but  he,  too,  was  almost  worn  out  by  the  loss 
of  sleep  the  night  before,  and  by  the  exertions 
of  the  day.  Fox  Bushwell  did  not  seem  to  be 
at  all  exhausted,  though  he  had  slept  less  and 
worked  more  than  any  other  member  of  that 
ill-assorted  family.  Two  or  three  times  he  told 
his  ward  he  had  better  go  to  bed ;  and  ho 
seemed  to  be  very  nervous  and  restless  all  the 
evening.     A*    I'T'St,  when     he    had    finished    his 


THE   DOKCAS    CLUB.  185 

exercises,  tlie  young  man  lighted  his  lamp,  and 
went  np  stairs. 

The  house,  though  more  recently  huilt,  was 
the  counterpart  of  the  one  which  had  ])een 
burned,  and  Prince's  room  was  over  the  front 
stairs,  while  that  of  his  uncle  was  the  "parlor 
chamber."  The  young  man  retired  ;  but  the  bed 
was  even  harder  than  the  one  which  the  fire 
mercifully  consumed,  and  the  situation  was 
rather  strange  to  him.  He  pondered  the  events 
of  the  day,  and  he  felt  very  sad  indeed  when 
he  thought  of  poor  Mollie  Longimore.  Then  he 
wished  again  that  he  were  of  age,  and  in  pos- 
session of  his  own  projierty.  That  furniture 
would  not  be  taken  then,  and  no  such  thing  as 
want  or  privation  should  be  known  to  the 
cashier's  family.  Mollie  should  smile  again,  and 
be  happy  as  long  as  she  lived,  if  money  and  his 
friendship  could  make  her  so. 

No  doubt  he  built  up  some  very  pretty  air 
castles,  as  he  lay  wondering  why  he  did  not  go 
to  sleep,  when  he  had  been  so  sleepy  ;  but  what- 
ever gilded  fabric  his  fancy  conjured  up,  the  fair 
Mollie  was  there  to  people  it,  and  to  be  the 
central  figure  of  every  picture. 


186  THE    DORCAS    CLUC. 

Prince  could  not  sleep,  perhap;^  because  he 
had  retired  an  hour  earlier  tlian  usual.  At  la.jt 
the  clock  struck  ten,  when  he  thought  it  ma^■t 
be  midnight.  He  turned  over,  and  addressed 
himself  again  with  renewed  vigor  to  the  ta;.k 
of  going  to  sleep.  But  there  were  no  poppies 
in  his  pillow. 

While  he  was  thus  wrestling  with  Somnus  and 
and  Morpheus,  he  heard,  or  thought  he  heard, 
a  sound  like  that  of  a  hammer  striking  against 
brick-work.  He  rose  in  the  bed,  and  listened 
The  sound  was  repeated  again  and  again,  and  it 
was  certainly  in  the  house.  He  got  out  of  bed, 
and  partially  dressed  himself.  He  feared  that 
some  villains  ^vere  trying  to  break  into  the 
house.  Perhaps  some  wretches,  suspecting  that 
Fox  Bushwell  had  a  large  sum  of  money  by  him, 
intended  to  rob  him.  He  had  not  heard  his 
uncle  go  to  bed ;  and,  lighting  his  lamp,  he 
entered  the  front  chamber.  The  old  man  was 
not  there  ;  and  still  the  noise  of  the  hammer,  or 
whatever  it  was,  came  up  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  house.  Leaving  the  lamp  in  his  room, 
and  closing  the  door,  he  carefully  descended  the 
stairs  in  his    stockinL?    feet.     He    soon    satisfied 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  187 

himself  that  the  noise  came  from  the  cellar.  He 
crept  softly  into  the  kitchen,  after  he  had 
assured  himself  that  his  uncle  was  not  there. 
Then  he  heard  the  sounds  more  plainly  than 
before.  Some  one  was  at  Avork  on  the  rear 
chimney  in  the  cellar  —  the  one  that  passed  up 
through  the  kitchen. 

As  his  uncle  was  not  in  the  sitting-room,  nor 
in  the  kitchen,  nor  in  his  chamber,  Prince  con- 
cluded that  it  must  be  he  who  was  at  work  at 
this  unseemly  hour  ;  doubly  unseemly  to  one  who 
had  been  hard  at  work  all  day,  and  could  hardly 
have  slept  any  the  night  before. 

Probably  Prince  was  not  very  different  from 
other  boys  of  his  age,  and  not  very  different 
from  mother  Eve  herself,  for  his  curiosity  was 
excited.  He  wanted  to  know  what  his  uncle 
was  doing  at  that  time  of  night.  He  had  heard 
it  said  that  Fox  Bushwell  had  partly  learned 
the  mason's  trade,  when  he  was  young,  and  ho 
had  himself  even  seen  him  lay  bricks.  While  h3 
Avas  creeping  towards  the  cellar  door,  in  order 
to  obtain  a  better  view  of  the  operations  of  his 
uncle,  he  stumbled  over  a  stick  of  wood,  which 
lay  on  the  floor  near  the  stove.     The    spell  was 


138  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

broken  and  he  retreated  to  the  sink,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  just  as  the  untimely 
^v•orkman  rushed  up  stairs,  and  discovered  him 
in  the  act  of  drinking  from  the  tin  dipper  he 
liad  taken  from  the  water-pail ;  not  that  he  was 
any  more  thirsty  than  a  boy  always  is,  for  the 
act  was  only  a  piece  of  strategy. 

"■  What  are  you  doing  here.  Prince  ?  "  demanded 
Fox  Bushwell,  evidently  terrified  by  the  sight 
of  his  ward. 

''  Getting  a  drink  of  water,"  replied  Prince. 
"What  are  you  doing  in  the  cellar?" 

"  This  back  chimney  is  out  of  order,  and  I 
was  fixing  it.  There's  a  hole  in  the  flue  down 
cellar,  which  spoils  the  draft,"  answered  the 
money-lender. 

"It's  rather  late  to  do  such  a  job,"  suggested 
Prince. 

"  I  was  too  tired  to  do  it  before ;  and  I  had 
to  do  it  to-night,  or  the  house  will  bo  full  of 
smoke  when  the  fire  is  made  in  the  morning," 
the  old  man  explained. 

Prince  appeared  to  be  satisfied,  though  he 
could  not  help  thinking  that  his  uncle  had  not 
seemed  to  be  very  tired,  only  nervous  and   rest- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  189 

less  during  the  evening.  He  went  to  bed,  and 
was  soon  asleep.  When  he  came  down  the  next 
morning,  his  guardian  had  gone  out  to  get  some- 
thing for  LrealcfaL^t,  and  Prince  visited  the  cellar 
in  order  to  see  Vvdiat  had  l)een  done  to  the  chim- 
ney. The  rear  one  —  larger  than  the  other  — 
was  built  on  an  arch,  which  was  now  filled  with 
old  lumber.  He  could  find  no  })lace  where  a  liolo 
had  been  sto2)pcd,  though  there  were  a  pail  of 
mortar  and  some  pieces  of  bricks  on  the  floor. 
He  removed  some  of  the  lumber  from  the  arch, 
and,  within  a  foot  of  the  floor,  he  found  that 
two  bricks  had  been  recently  laid,  for  the  mor- 
tar was  soft  and  green. 

He  did  not  believe  that  a  hole  in  that  place 
could  have  affected  the  draught  of  the  flue  ;  he 
was  more  inclined  to  believe  that  his  uncle  had 
opened  out  a  hiding  place  for  some  of  his  valu- 
ables. But,  whatever  he  had  done,  the  matter 
did  not  concern  him;  and  after  breakfast  he 
went  to  school  as  usual. 


190  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE    UNDINE    CLUB. 

FOX  BUSHWELL  appeared  to  be  the  last 
person  who  had  seen  Mr.  Longimore, 
though  a  storekeeper  thought  he  had  observed  a 
man  who  looked  like  him  going  down  the  main 
street  about  sunrise.  A  small  steamer  had  been 
sent  to  explore  all  the  shores  of  the  bay  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  city,  to  discover,  if  possible,  the 
missing  boat,  in  Avhich  the  cashier  was  supposed 
to  have  left  the  wharf ;  but  it  returned  in  the 
evening  without  having  obtained  any  clue  what- 
ever to  it.  On  Wednesday  the  directors  of  the 
bank  sent  for  Fox  Bushwell,  and  examined  and 
cross-questioned  him  to  their  satisfaction  ;  but  he 
still  told  his  story  just  as  he  had  related  it  to 
.the  president.  The  ci_;hicr  liid  com 3  to  the 
house  at  daylight  in  the  morning,  and  given  him 
the  bundle  of  papers  he  had  left  at  the  bank. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  191 

"  What  did  he  say  when  he  brought  them  to 
you  ? "  asked  Mr.  Doane ;  and  he  had  put  the 
same  question  to  him  half  a  dozen  times  before. 

'•'-  He  said  I  might  want  the  papers,"  rcphed 
Fox  Bushwelh  "  He  looked  and  acted  Avild. 
That's  all  I  know  about  it,  as  I  have  said  be- 
f,.rc." 

''  But  didn't  you  ask  him  any  questions  ?  " 

'■'•  No,  sir,  I  did  not.  I  hadn't  any  time  to 
fiiy  anything  before   he  was  gone." 

"  Didn't  you  think  it  was  very  strange  that 
]\.i  ;;liould  come  to  you  so  early  in  the  morii- 
i  vj  !  ' '  inquired  one  of  the  directors. 

'•  Yes,  I  did  ;  I  thought  it  was  very  strange. 
And  he  looked  and  acted  so  wild  that  I  was 
going  to  ask  him  what  the  matter  was  ;  Init  he 
T/ent  off  before  I  could  do  so." 

"  What  did  you  think  was  the  matter  with 
him,   Mr.  Bushwcll?" 

"  1  hadn't  time  to  think  much  about  it,  he 
was  off  so  quick.  I  knew  he  was  in  trouble, 
for  I  lent  him  the  money  the  night  before  to 
make  his  account  good  with  the  bank.  He  was 
worried,  and  I  didn't  think  so  much  about  his 
conduct  in  the  morning  as  I  should  if  I  hadn't 
seen  him  the  nioht  before." 


1.72  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  Could  you  think  of  any  reason  why  he 
brought  you  those  papers  at  that  early  hour  ? " 
asked  Mr.  Doane. 

"  I  couldn't  then,  but  I  can  now,"  replied 
the  money-lender,    warily. 

*'  Well,  what  reason  do  you  assign  for  it?  " 

"He  knew  he  was  going  off,  if  I  did  not, 
either  to  clear  out  or  to  make  way  with  him- 
self; and  I  suppose,  after  the  fire,  he  thought  I 
might  want  the  papers,  for  my  insurance  policy 
was  among  them,"  replied  Fox  Bushwell ;  and, 
though  he  had  begun  with  a  more  manly  tone 
tlmn  lic  generally  used,  he  had  now  come  down 
to  the  peculiar  whine  which  seemed  to  be  a  part 
of  his  miserly  nature. 

'"  Didn't  he  know  you  could  get  the  papers 
yourself  when  you  wanted  them  ? "  inquired  a 
director- 

"  He  helped  me  about  some  of  my  business, 
and  I  left  the  bundle  of  papers  in  his  charge. 
He  made  up  the  package  just  as  he  did  the 
papers  belonging  to  the  bank.  Perhaps  he 
thought  the  directors  would  not  let  me  have  the 
papers ;  or,  as  they  were  left  in  his  care,  that 
he  ought  to  return  them  to  me,  before  he  went 


TirJ    DORCAS    CLUB.  193 

off.  I  don't  know  what  he  thought ;  I  can  only- 
guess  at  it;  and  you  can  guess  for  yourselves  as 
well   as  I  can." 

"  Which  way  did  Mr.  Longimore  go,  when 
he  left   your  house  ?  " 

"  He  went  up  the  street  towards  the  bank." 
"Were  you  awake  when  he  came?" 
"No;  I  was  asleep  in  the  front  room — but 
not  very  sound  asleep.  His  step  woke  me  ;  and 
when  I  heard  him  knock,  I  went  to  the  door. 
I  thought  it  likely  it  might  be  my  boy  Prince. 
As  soon  as  I  opened  the  door,  he  handed  me 
the  papers,  and  said  I  might  want  them.  Then 
he  turned  round,  and  hurried  down  the  stairs. 
I  was  going  to  ask  him  what  the  matter  was ; 
but  he  didn't  give  me  time.  I  have  told  you 
all  this  about  a  dozen  times;  but  I'll  keep  on 
telling  it  all  day,  if  you  say  so." 

Perhaps'  there  was  something  in  the  manner 
of  the  money-lender  Avhich  excited  the  suspicions 
of  the  president  of  the  bank ;  if  there  was,  he 
found  nothing  to  verify  them.  Fox  Bushwell's 
story  was  very  simple,  and  he  did  not  vary  it  in 
the  shghtest  particular.  He  was  one  of  those 
prudent    witnessess   who    beheve   it   is   better  to 


194  TIIK    DORCAS    CLUB. 

know  too  little  rather  than  too  much.  Mr. 
Doane  and  his  associates  inquired  into  the  busi- 
ness transaction  of  the  preceding  evening,  and  the 
uioncy-lcndcr  told  the  whole  truth  without 
reserve.  He  exhibited  the  note  and  the  bill  of 
sale,  and  everything  appeared  to  be  regular. 
The  bank  officials  were  unable  to  obtain  a  single 
fact  which  threw  any  additional  light  upon  the 
singular  conduct  of  the  cashier.  He  was  gone, 
and  the  bonds  were  gone.  He  was  "  rather  wild" 
Avhen  last  seen,  Avhich  tended  to  strengthen  the 
belief  that  he  had  drowned  himself  in  the  bay. 

"I  am  pretty  well  satisfied  that  he   has  made 
way  with  himself,"  said  Captain  Hapgood. 
"  Where  are  the  bonds,  then  ?  " 
"  I  can't  tell.     He  may  have  used  them  up  in 
some  stock  speculation." 

"  But  there  Avould  be  something  among  his 
papers  to  indicate  it,  if  he  had  —  some  letter  or 
memorandum . ' ' 

''  If  he  was  shrewd  enough  to  square  his 
accounts  with  the  bank,  he  was  smart  enough 
to  burn  his  letters  and  other  papers.  It  is  very 
strange,  I  know ;  but  I  can  think  of  no  other 
explanation  of  liis  conduct,"  added  the  cap- 
tain. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  195 

"  If  he  had  drowned  himself,  the  boat  Avould 
have  been  found  before  this  time,"  suggested  a 
director. 

"  I  have  a  theory  in  regard  to  that,  which 
came  to  my  mind  last  night  while  I  was  think- 
ing of  the  affair,"  continued  Captain  Hapgood. 
"  Mr.  Longimore,  according  to  all  accounts,  was 
fall  of  trouble,  and  rather  wild.  Crazy  people 
are  always  cimning.  M}'  theory  is,  that  he 
pulled  over  to  one  of  the  rocky  shores,  filled  his 
boat  with  stones  enough  to  sink  her  when  the 
water  was  let  in,  and  then  went  out  into  deep 
water  again.  I  fancy  that  he  tied  himself  down 
to  the  boat,  or  crawled  under  the  thwarts,  and 
then  pulled  the  plug  out  of  tlie  bottom  of  the 
boat.  If  he  did  this,  of  course  neither  the  boat 
nor  his  body  will  come  up  to  tell  what  has 
become  of  him." 

"  All  that  is  only  a  supposition,"  said  Mr. 
Doane,  with  a  smile  at  the  ingenuity  of  the 
explanation. 

"  It  is  only  Avhat  might  have  been,  I  know. 
If  he  has  run  away,  the  boat  would  certainly 
have  been  found,"  persisted  Captain  Hapgood. 

Though  this  theory  did  not  satisfy  any  person, 


196  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

no  more  plausible  one  could  be  suggested.     Fox 
Bushwell  left  the  bank   with   a   feeling    that   he 
had   conducted    himself    prudently,  and   that  he 
had  succeeded  in  all  he   had   undertaken.      Day 
after   day   passed    away,  and    no  intelligence  of 
the  absent  cashier  came.       The  police  in  all  the 
large    cities   were    on   the   lookout   for  him,  and 
officers  employed  by  the  bank  were  searching  tho 
surrounding    country.       Mrs.    Longimore    gladly 
accepted  the  theory  that   her  husband's   troubles 
had  made  him  insane,  and  that   he   had   drowned 
himself  in  the  bay  ;  for  it  was  better  to  believe  this 
than  to  think  that,  in  his  right  mind,  he  had  stolen 
the  propei-ty  of  the  bank.       She  and  her  daughter 
mourned   him   as  dead,  and  theirs  was  a  sad,  sad 
home.     Two  or  three  times  a  day  Prince  Willin- 
good  called  upon  them,  and  they  allowed  him,  at 
his  own  urgent  request,  to  do  the  work  about  the 
hou;;c  which  the  absent  father  had  done.     They 
spoke  to  him  freely  of  the  darkened  future,  which 
had  hardly  a  ray  of  hope  for  them. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  disappearance  of 
the  cashier,  came  a  letter  from  his  brother  to 
Mrs.  Longimore.  He  had  heard,  of  course,  of 
tho  "  irregularity  "  of    her  husband,  and  he  had 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  197 

1  received  the  letter  addressed  to  liim,  imploring 
aid  to  save  the  cashie/  from  disgrace  and  ruin. 
He  could  do  nothing  ;  he  had  just  failed  in  busi- 
ness, and  enclosed  in  his  letter  a  slip  cut  from 
a  daily  paper,  containing  the  legal  proceedings 
in  his  case.  This  hope  was  cut  off.  The  mother  and 
her  daughter  wept  afresh  at  this  bad  news.  Tlie 
brother  expressed  his  sympathy,  and  this  was  all 
he  could  do.  Prince  read  the  letter,  and  listened 
to  the  sobs  of  Mrs.  Longimore  and  Mollie  as  he 
did  so.  He  tried  to  comfort  them,  but  he  was 
powerless  to  do  so. 

"  You  shall  not  want  for  anything,  Mrs.  Lon- 
gimore," said  Prince,  confidently.  "  I  know 
what  the  girls  have  done  ;  and  before  the  money 
tliey  loaned  you  is  gone,  some  way  will  be  pro- 
vided for  you  to  live.  Mollie  shall  give  lessons 
on  the  piano,  and — " 

"  But  the  piano  is  no  longer  ours." 

"  My  uncle  shall  not  take  it,"  protested  Prince, 
warmly.  "  I  can  obtain  the  pupils,  I  know. 
Do  not  weep;  all  shall  be  well  in  time.  You 
can  take  boarders,  open  a  store,  or  keep  a 
school,"  suggested  the  young  man. 

"We  might  take  boarders,"  rcDlicd  Mrs.  Lon- 
gimore, thoughtfully,  and  with  a  gleam  of  hope, 


198  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  But  you  need  not  do  anything  yet  a  while. 
Do  not  be  worried.  I  wish  I  was  twenty-one !  " 
added  Prince,  with  an  enthusiasm  which  had  its 
effect  on  the  mother  and  daughter. 

He  went  home ;  but  his  presence  and  his 
words  had  kindled  a  hope.  He  left  the  skies 
less  black  behind  him,  though  he  was  puzzled 
to  know  what  he  could  do,  with  all  his  worldly 
goods  locked  up  in  the  hands  of  his  miserly 
uncle. 

After  school  on  Wednesday,  a  special  meeting 
of  the  Dorcas  Societ}^  had  been  called,  and  Don 
John,  the  boat  builder,  had  been  invited  to  be 
present.  The  enthusiasm  for  boating  was  at  the 
highest  pitch.  The  experience  of  the  Lily  Club 
had  been  so  delightful  that  the  other  clubs  could 
hardly  wait  till  their  days  came.  The  meeting 
was  called  to  order  at  three  o'clock,  for  the 
Undine  Club  were  to  have  the  boat  at  four. 

"  The  princely  generosity  of  Don  John  has 
left  us  sufficient  funds  to  procure  another  boat," 
said  Nellie  Patterdale,  when  the  society  was 
called  to   order. 

"  We  need  another,"  added  Eva  Doane. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be   nice   if   we   could    have   five 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  190 

boats,  so  tliat  we  could  all  go  every  day ! " 
exclaimed  Kate  Bilder. 

"  Perhaps  wc  may  have  them  by  and  by," 
replied  Nellie ;  '•  but  I  think  a  couple  will  do 
very  well  for  the  present — at  least  till  we  have 
all  learned  to  row." 

"I  move  that  we  buy  another  boat  at  once," 
said  Jennie  Waite. 

"Second  the  motion,"  added  Kate  Bilder. 

"  I  offer  an  amendment,  that  Don  John  be 
employed  to  build  one  like  the  Dorcas,"  inter- 
posed Nellie. 

"I  accept  the  amendment,"  added  Jennie. 
"  But  how  long  will  it  take  to  build  one  ?  " 

"  Don  John  can  answer  that  question,"  said 
Minnie,  turning  to  the  boat-builder. 

"  I  might  do  it  in  three  weeks,  if  I  employ 
help  enough  ;  perhaps  in  two,"  answered  Don- 
ald. 

"  We  can't  wait  so  long,"  protested  Kate. 

"  There  is  a  four-oar  boat  for  sale  in  the  city, 
the  one  I  used  as  a  model  for  the  Dorcas," 
added  Don  John.  "She  was  built  last  year, 
and  the  price  is  two  hundred  dollars." 

"Let's  buy  her!"  cried  Jennie. 


200  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  I  think  we  can  wait  two  or  three  weeks," 
said  Nellie. 

"  I'm  sure  we  can't." 

"  Yes,  Jennie  Waite,"  laughed  Minnie. 

"It  would  be  such  fun  to  have  two  boats!" 
exclaimed  Kate.  "  We  could  get  up  a  race. 
Let  us  buy  her  at  once." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  do  so,"  continued  Nel- 
lie. "  After  such  a  magnificent  present,  I  think 
we  can  wait  two  or  three  weeks  for  Don  John 
to  build  the  boat." 

"  O,  yes,  certainly  we  can.  I  didn't  think," 
added  Jennie,  blushing. 

All  of  them  saw  that  it  would  be  very  swin- 
ish to  purchase  a  boat,  instead  of  giving  an 
order  to  Don  John  to  build  one,  after  his  gen- 
erous gift  of  the  Dorcas  ;  and  not  another  word 
was  said  about  buying  the  one  that  was  for 
sale. 

"  Question  ! "  shouted  the  members. 

"  The  motion  is  to  employ  Don  John  to  build 
another  boat,"  said  the  president. 

"I  beg  permission  to  say  a  word,"  interposed 
Donald.  "If  the  members  prefer  to  purchase 
the  boat,  I  hope  they  will  do  so,   and   not   wait 


•  THE    DORCAS    CI.UB.  201 

two  or  three  weeks  in  order  to  give  me  the  job. 
It  will  not  make  any  difference  to  me  whether 
I  build  her  or  not.  I  expect  to  lay  the  keel  of 
a  large  schooner-yacht  in  the  course  of  two  or 
three  weeks ;  and  I  sliall  have  enough  to  do." 

"•Question!"  repeated  the  girls. 

The  motion  was  carried  unanimously. 

"  Don  John,  you  Avill  build  the  new  boat  at 
once,"  said  the  president. 

"  Of  course  I  will  do  so,  Miss  President,  if 
such  is  your  order,  for  I  would  swallow  my 
own  head  rather  than  disobey  you,"  replied 
the  representative  of  the  firm  of  Ramsey  & 
Son. 

"  Such  is  our  order." 

"  Then  I  obey ;  but  I  shall  be  compelled  to 
resign  my  pleasant  position  as  instructor  in  row- 
ing to  the  Dorcas  Club. 

''  Resign  ?  " 

"  I  must  employ  one  or  two  men  to  help  me 
build  the  boat;  and  I  must  work  upon  it  my- 
self, instead  of  sunning  in  the  smiles  of  these 
water  nymphs." 

"Very  pretty!" 

"  This  is  a  business    matter ;  and   if  I  do    not 


202  THE    DOECAS    CLUB* 

attend  to  it,  the  boat  may  not  be  ready  as  soon 
as  I  wish,  and  certainly  not  as  soon  as  you 
wish,"  added  Don  John.  "  Please  to  accept  my 
resignation,  and  I  will  try  to  have  the  boat  in 
the  water  in  ten  days,  if  I  have  to  work  nights 
upon  her."  , 

'•  But  whom  shall  we  get  to  teach  ;i;;  ?  "  asked 
Nelhe. 

'-  There  are  plenty  of  roAvists  v/ho  understand 
the  business  better  than  I  do." 

"Who?" 

"  Prince  Willingood,  for  one." 

"Prince!"  "Prince!"  shouted  several  of  the 
girls. 

"  I  move  that  the  resignation  of  Don  John 
be  accepted,"  said  Eva ;  and  tlie  motion  pvo 
vailed. 

Prince  was  then  elected  to  this  higldy  impor- 
tant position,  and  Don  John  was  requested  1>) 
inform  him  of  the  will  of  the  club.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  meeting  was  comj)lcted,  and  the 
Undine  Club,  who  were  entitled  to  the  use  of 
the  boat  on  that  da}^,  hastened  to  the  shop  of 
the  builder,  where  she  was  kept.  Don  Joiin, 
who  was  to  instruct  them  on  this  occasion,  pro- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  203 

ceeded  aa  lie  had  done  the  day  before,  until  the 
girls  were  al)le  to  pull  a  stroke  together.  The 
Dorcas  darted  off,  for  it  required  very  little 
power  to  move  her.  Though  the  memhers  of 
the  club  flattered  themselves  that  they  could  rov/ 
as  soon  as  the  boat  began  to  move,  their  stroke 
was  very  awkward  and  uneven,  and  the  fair 
rov.dsts  were  likel}''  to  exhaust  their  strength  in 
]  ulling  a  single  mile.  Already  they  puffed  like 
no  many  seals. 

''Ready  to  lie  on  your  oars!"  said  Susie 
Thaxter,  the  leader,  as  instructed  by  Don  John. 
"Oars!" 

At  tlie  last  command,  the  girls  leveled  their 
oars  at  the  proper  distance  above  the   water. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  one  of  the 
rowers. 

"  Nothing,"  replied  the  instructor. 

"What  have  we  stopped  for?" 

"  It  is  about  time  for  you  to  begin  to  learn 
hoAV  to  row,"  laughed  Don  John. 

"I  thought  we  were  rowing." 

"  I  didn't  think  so.  You  were  sort  of  pad- 
dling and  beating  the  water  with  the  oars  ;  but 
the  water  can  stand  it  a  oood  deal   better    than 


204  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

you    can.     You    are  all    puffing  like  porpoises." 

"  But  we  went  real  fast." 

"  Too  fast  for  beginners  ;  you  will  wear  your- 
selves out  in  half  an  hour,  and  at  this  rate  the 
exerci.jc  will  do  you  more  harm  than  good,"  said 
the  boat-builder,  gravely.  "  I  want  you  to  under- 
stand that  I  am  duly  and  properly  impi'essed 
with  the  responsibility  of  ray  position  as  pro- 
fessor of  the  art  of  rowing." 

"  Professor  Ramsay !  "  laughed   Susie. 

"  Thank  you  ;  I  accept  the  title  as  proper  and 
fitting,  and  regret  that  I  am  so  soon  to  vacate 
the  chair,"  added  Don  John.  "  While  I  retain 
it,  I  desire  faithfully  to  discharge  its  duties. 
Ladies  should  do  everything  gracefully ;  therefore 
you  should  row  gracefully.  But  allo^v  me  to  add 
that  you  row  like  so  many  sand-crabs,  sidling 
about  in  search  of  their  breakfast." 

"By  all  means,  let  us  row  gracefully,"  said 
Kitty  Jones. 

"  Moreover,  it  becomes  m}^  duty  to  insist 
that  you  shall  row  easily,"  continued  Professor 
Ramsay.  "  You  make  harder  work  of  it  than 
a  hod-carrier,  Avho  has  to  shin  up  a  ladder  with 
fifty  bricks  on  his  shoulder,  and  possibly  one  in 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  205 

his  hat.  So  mncli  hard  work  will  tire  jon  out, 
and  impair  your  health.  Pardon  me  for  this 
long  speech  ;  but  consider  the  heavy  responsi- 
bility resting'  upon  me." 

"We  are  all  willing  to  learn,  Don  Jolni,  if 
you  will   only  tell  us  what  to  do,"  added  Susie. 

*'In  the  first  place,  then,  j^ou  must  sit  u[) 
straight,  and  throw  your  shoulders  back,  just  as 
you  do  in  the  calisthenic  exercises.  In  the 
second  place,  you  must  inflate  the  lungs  when 
you  gather  up  for  the  stroke.  In  position,  if 
you  please." 

The  giiis  straiglitened  up,  and  threw  their 
sliouldcrs  l)ack.  They  made  the  movements, 
Avith  tlic  brcatliing  exercise,  a  few  times  till 
they  got  thu  idea,  witliout   dipping  the  oars. 

"  That  will  do  very  well.  All  of  you  dip  the 
blades  too  deep  in  the  water,  which  very  much 
increases  the  labor.  Now,  oblige  me,  at  the 
word,  by  pulling  a  few  strokes,  only  half  cover- 
ing the  blade." 

"Ready — give    way     together!"     said     the 
leader,  at  the  instructor's  request. 

"  Dip  lightly.  Too  deep.  Only  half  cover 
the  blade  of  the  oar — just  bury  the  spoon,  and 


206  THE    DOUL.AH    CLCJB. 

no  more.  Very  well  indeed.  But  you  lift  the 
oars  too  high  above  the  water  when  you  gather 
up  ;  that  is,  at  movement  No.  1.  Just  clear  the 
Avatcr,  and  no  more.  Slowly  ;  don't  hurry.  No, 
no  I  that's  too  fast.  —  Stop  them,  Susie." 

"Ready  to  lie  on  your  oars!  Oars!"  called 
the  leader  ;  and  they  all  ceased  as  one,  and 
came  into  the  proper  position. 

"  You  must  do  it  ver}'  slowly.  I  will  call  the 
movements  by  number — one,  two,  three,  four  ; 
one,  two,  three,  four.  No  faster  than  that.  Now, 
try  again. —  Give  the  word,  Susie." 

After  considerable  practice,  Don  John  taught 
them  to  row  very  slowly  and  steadily.  Taking 
out  a  long  led  pencil,  he  beat  the  time,  like 
the  conductor  of  an  orchestra.  The  rowists 
were  so  interested  in  the  exercise,  that  they 
made  remarkable  proficiency. 

"Now  I  wish  to  make  it  still  easier."  Pro- 
fessor Ramsay  proceeded,  when  the  club  ceased 
rowing  again. 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  can  be  any  easier,"  said 
Kitty. 

"01  wish  you  to  be  able  to  pull  a  couple  of 
miles  without  being    at    all    fatigued ;  and    you 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  207 

can,  when  you  get  used  to  it.  Now  I  will  give 
the  time  in  six  beats,  instead  of  four.  Three  will 
come  on  the  stroke,  as  before ;  but  on  the  fifth 
and  sixth  beats  you  will  lie  on  your  oars.  This 
h  the  man-of-war  stroke.      Arc  you  all  ready?" 

"  Ready." 

"  One  —  two — three  —  four — five  —  six.  No  ; 
you  are  all  in  a  snarl!"  laughed  Don  t>onn. 
"  Rest  on  five  and  six.  Now  try  again.  One — 
two  —  three — four — five  —  six.     That's  better." 

The  exercise  was  repeated  until  the  rowists 
were  accustomed  to  the  movement,  and  they 
made  the  rest  after  the  stroke  without  breaking 
the  time.  Of  course  the  length  of  the  stroke, 
and  the  dip,  were  often  corrected  ;  but  even  the 
professor  Avas  astonished  at  their  progress. 

"I  hope  you  are  satisfied,"   said  Kitty. 

''  Not  quite.  You  must  now  learn  to  feather 
the  oar,  and  never  pull  a  stroke  without  doing 
so,"  replied  Don  John.  "  On  four,  as  you  lift 
the  blade  of  the  oar  out  of  the  water,  turn  it, 
so  that  it  shall  rest  flatwise,  near  the  surface  of 
the  brine." 

The  instructor  took  an  oar,  and  showed  how 
it  was  done.     Tlien  each  girl    practiced    till  she 


208  THE   DORCAS    CLXTB. 

could  do  it.  In  half  an  hour  the  Undine  Club 
returned  to  the  shore,  and  astonished  the  other 
clubs  bj  the  ease  and  grace  with  which  they 
pulled.  As  instructed,  the  bow  oarswoman 
shipped  her  oar,  and  stood  by  the  boat-hook, 
as  the  Dorcas  approached  the  landing-place. 
Everybody  was  satisfied,  and  Don  John  not  the 
least  so. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  200 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE   NEW    PROFESSOR    OF   ROWING. 

(O  the  members  of  tlie  Dorcas  Society,  the 
most  favored  place  of  resort,  after  dinner, 
was  the  boat-shop  of  Ramsay  &,  Son,  where  Don 
John  and  Kennedy,  his  workman,  were  getting 
out  the  frame  of  the  Lily,  as  the  new  boat  Avas 
to  be  called.  When  they  arrived,  a  new  snr- 
prioc  awaited  them  ;  for,  by  the  side  of  the  Dor- 
cas lay  the  very  counterpart  of  her,  with  the 
name  "  Undine "  painted  upon  the  stern,  and 
each  side  of  the  stem. 

*'  Whose  boat  is  that,  Don  John  ? "  asked 
Susie  Thaxter,  the  leader  of  the  Undine  Club. 
"  Somebody  has  stolen  our  name,  and  I  don't 
think  it's   fair." 

"  It  is  wicked  to  steal,"  replied  Don  John, 
his  eyes  twinkling  with  mischief. 

*'  Somebody  took  that  name  just  because  we 
U 


210  THE   DOECAS   CLUB. 

did,"  pouted  Susie.     "  If  it  was  any  of  the  boys, 
I  never  will  speak  to  them  again !  " 

"•  It  Avas  very  naughty,"  added  Don  John. 
"The  boat  was  sent  here  early  this  morning, 
and  I  was  directed  to  have  the  name  '  Undine ' 
painted  upon  her  in  three  places,  as  on  the  Dor- 
cas. You  know  that  I  can  only  obey  orders, 
even  if  I  break  owners.  If  I  had  beQn  ordered 
to  paint  ••  Susie  Thaxter  '  —  " 

"Paint  Susie  Thaxter!  Paint  me  J"  laughed 
the  merry  girl. 

"  I  was  going  to  ray  something  morp.  I  knoA^ 
you  don't  paint  ;  your  cheeks  are  aa  red  as  a 
ripe  peach.  If  I  had  been  ordered  to  paint 
'  Susie  Thaxter '  on  that  boat,  I  should  have  had 
it   done," 

"  Of  course  you  Avould.  That  would  have 
been  more  sensible  than  stealing  the  name  of 
our  club  ;  for  I  hope  we  shall  have  a  boat  somp 
time." 

"  I  hope  you  will ;  and  as  I  can  build  two 
boats  at  the  same  time  about  as  quick  as  I  can 
one,  I  shall  get  out  a  pair  of  them.  I  shall 
have  two  men  at  work  for  me  to-morrow." 

"  But  who  owns  that  boat  ? "  asked  Kitty 
Jones. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  211 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  who  owns  lier  now. 
It  is  the  one  I  spoke  to  you  about,  yesterday, 
as  being  for  sale.  She  was  sent  here  this  morn- 
ing,  with  a  note  from  General  Jones — " 

"My  father!"  exclaimed  Kitty. 

"  From  your  father.  I  was  ordered  to  paint 
the  name  '  Undine '  upon  her,  and  send  the  bill 
to  him,"  replied  Don  Jolm.  "  This  afternoon  a 
letter  was  left  in  my  care  for  the  president  of 
the  Dorcas  Clul),  which  I  was  requested  to 
deliver  when  the  girls  came  down  to  row.  Here 
it  is." 

"  Minnie  Darling  hasn't  come  yet,  but  she  will 
be  here  soon.  The  Undine  is  a  very  pretty 
boat,"  added  Kitty. 

"  I  built  the  Dorcas  after  her  model,  as  I  told 
you ;  and  the  two  are  as  nearly  alike  as  two 
peas.  The  Lily  Avill  be  precisely  like  them,"  said 
Don  John. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  other 
one  you  are  building?"  asked  Susie. 

"  That's  an  open  question.  I  have  not  decided 
yet ;  but  from  the  interest  taken  in  boating,  I 
am  sure  there  Avill  be  a  market  for  her,  and 
perhaps  for  half  a  dozjn  more." 


£12  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  Here  are  Minnie  and  Nellie,"  said  Kitty, 
anxious  to  know  the  contents  of  the  letter. 

The  boat-builder  delivered  the  missive  to  the 
president,  who  opened  and  read  it.  As  she  did 
so,  a  smile  lighted  up  her  face,  and  her  com- 
panions were  sure  that  it  contained  pleasant 
intelligence. 

"  What  is  it,  Minnie  ?  "  demanded  Susie,  impa- 
tiently. 

"  Listen,  and  I  will  read  it,"  replied  Minnie : 
" '  Mr.  Edward  C.  Jones  presents  his  compli- 
ments to  the  Dorcas  Boat  Club,  and  requests 
the  association  to  accept,  as  his  gift,  the  four- 
oar  boat  to  which  he  has  given  the  name  of 
Undine,  with  his  best  wishes  for  the  health 
and  happiness  of  the  members,  and  with  the 
Lope  that  the  boat  will  contribute  something  to 
the  enjoyment  of  tlie  coming  season.'  " 

"  Goody  !  goody  !  "  shouted  several  of  the  girls, 
in  their   enthusiasm. 

"  You  tell  your  father  he  is  just  the  nicest 
man  on  record,  Kitty,"  said  Susie.  "  How  did 
he  happen  to  do  this  magnificent  thing?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  After  tea  last  even- 
ing, I  was  telling  mother   and    the   rest    of    the 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  21  j 

folk;  what  an  elegant  time  we  Lad  had,  and 
what  splendid  rowists  we  had  become,  and  how 
ni(3  3ly  Don  John  instructed  us,  so  that  it  was 
easier  to  row  than  it  was  to  sit  still,  and  how 
hungry  I  was  when  I  got  homo,  and  how  we 
were  to  row  gracefully  as  well  as  easily,  and 
what  fun  we  should  have  all  summer,  and  tliat 
Don  John  was  going  to  build  another  boat,  and 
how  I  wished  we  had  boats  enough  for  all  the 
girl.;-" 

"  And  by  that  time  I  suppose  your  father 
was  half  crazy,  because  you  talked  so  fast," 
laughed  Nellie   Patterdale. 

"No,  he  wasn't.  He  was  reading  his  news- 
paper, and  he  didn't  seem  to  mind  what  T  was 
saying.  I  told  the  folks  that  some  of  the  girl;; 
wanted  to  buy  the  boat  that  was  for  sale,  and 
if  I  had  money  enough,  I'd  buy  her  myself. 
Father  didn't  take  a  bit  of  notice  of  what  I 
said." 

"  It  seems  that  he  did." 

"  Well  he  didn't  ask  me  even  a  single  ques- 
tion,"  added  Kitty. 

"  Evidently  there  was  no  need  of  any  ques- 
liouo,"  raid  Minine  ;  "for  j'ou  told  all  3-ou  knew 
and  all  you  felt  without  being  asked." 


214  THE   DOnCAS    CLUB. 

"  I  don't  care  !  I  never  enjoyed  myself  half 
so  much  before,  as  I  did  in  the  boat  yesterday 
afternoon.  INIother  was  afraid  I  should  hurt 
mj^self  rowing,  and  said  it  waij  too  hard  Avork 
for  girls.  Then  I  tohl  her  everything  Don  John 
had  said  about  making  easy  work  of  it,  and 
that  I  wasn't  a  bit  tired  after  we  learned  to 
row.  Then  to  think  tliat  father  heard  all  I  said, 
and  went  off  tliis  morning  and  bought  this  boat, 
and  gave  it  to  the  Dorcas  Club !  Nov/  each  of 
the  clubs  can  go  twice  a  week,  instead  of  once, 
and  next  week  will  be  vacation." 

"You  can  nse  her  this  afternoon,  if  you  like, 
only  you  must  be  careful  not  to  rub  the  letters 
that  are  painted  on  her,"  suggested  Don  John. 

"  That  will  be  nice  !  "  exclaimed  Kitty.  "  The 
Psyche  Club  can  have  her." 

"But  we  have  not  learned  to  row,"  said 
Carrie  West,  the  leader  of  the  club  mentioned. 
"  We  must  1)0  instructed  before  we  can  go  out, 
and  the  professor  is  to  go  with  the  Dorcas  Club, 
who  have  the  boat  to-day." 

"  Where  is  Prince  ?  "  asked  Minnie. 

"He  will  be  here  very  soon,"  replied  Don 
John.     "  It  isn't  four  o'clock  yet." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  215 

"  Can't  3'ou  go  with  the  Psyche  Club,  Pro- 
fessor Ramsay?"  asked  Kitty. 

"  I  cannot ;  if  I  do.  Kennedy  must  stop  work 
as  well  as  I,  and  we  can't  get  these  boats  done 
at  the  time  stated.  Please  don't  call  me  pro- 
fessor any  more  ;  I  abdicate  in  favor  of  Prince 
Willingood,  who  has  been  chosen  as  my  successor. 
Transfer  the  title  to  him ;  he  is  worthy  to  bear 
the  laurel  and  bear  the  honor,"  laughed  Don 
John.  "Besides  there  will  be  so  many  profes- 
sors around,  that  we  shall  not  know  one  from 
another.  The  barber  is  a  professor,  and  so  are 
the  horse-doctor,  the  bumpologist,  and  the  light- 
ning-rod man." 

"  Here  is  the  Simon  Pure  professor,"  said 
Susie  Thaxter,  as  Prince  made  his    appearance. 

"The  what?"  demanded  the  new  instructor 
in  rowing. 

"  The  professor,  Prince  ;  you  are  the  professor 
of  the  art  of  rowing." 

"  Am  I,  indeed  ?  "  chuckled  Prince.  "  I'm  a 
greater  man  than  I  thought  I  was ;  and  I  beg 
to  express  my  warmest  thanks  for  the  distin- 
guished honor  conferred  upon  me.  I  will 
endeavor  to  discharge    my    arduous    duties  witli 


216  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

fidelity  and  discretion,  and  thus  to  Avin  the 
favor  of  those  who  have  placed  me  in  this  hon- 
oral)le  and  useful  position.  Allow  me  to  add 
that  Don  John  has  fully  instructed  me  in 
regard  to  his  system  of  rowing,  and  I  shall 
follow  his  method." 

Both  of  the  hoats  were  put  into  the  water, 
and  hauled  up  alongside  the  little  pier  which 
Don  John  and  his  man  had  built  in  front  of 
the  shop. 

"But  which  club  is  going  in  the  Undine?" 
said  Minnie,  as  she  seated  herself  at  the  stroke 
oar. 

"The  Psyche,  of  course,"  replied  Kitty.  "It 
is  their  next  turn." 

"  But  we  can't  row,"  added  Carrie  West. 

"  And  for  that  reason,  I  hope  the  Psyche  Club 
will  not  go  out  in  the  Undine,  for  they  will 
only  contract  bad  habits,"  said  Prince. 

"  Miss  President,  I  move,  as  the  sense  of  the 
club,  that  the  Undine  Club,  knowing  how  to 
row,  ought  to  use  the  second  boat,"  continued 
Nellie,  at  the  bow  oar  of  the  Dorcas. 

"  Just  my  opinion,  exactly,"  cried  Prince. 
"  Then    the    Dorcas   Club   can   see    just  hoAV  to 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  217 

row,  and  their  example  will  make  our   work   all 
the  easier." 

Minnie  put  the  question  to  vote,  and  the 
motion  was  carried.  • 

"I  think  it  is  real  mean,  there!"  said  Kittie, 
impvdsively.  "  Neither  the  Psyche  nor  the  Fairy 
Club  have  been  in  the  boat  yet.  I  would  rather 
have  them  go  than  go  myself." 

"  But  we  can't  row,"  persisted  Carrie  West. 
"  I'm  afraid  we  should  tip  over,  or  spoil  the 
boat." 

"I  don't  want  to  go  till  Prince    can   go    with- 
us,"  added  Jennie  Waite,  the  leader  of  the  Fairy 
Club. 

So  said  all  the  members  of  the  two  clubs 
which  had  not  yet  been  in  the  boat. 

"  We  had  much  rather  see  your  club  row, 
Kitty,"  continued  Carrie  West.  "  I  enjoyed 
looking  at  you,  yesterday  afternoon,  quite  as 
much  as  I  should  rowing  myself.  Your  move- 
ments were  the  very  poetry  of  motion." 

"  That's  so  !  "  cried  Prince.  "  I  must  have 
the  Undine  Club  as  a  model  for  the  Dorcas." 

Kitty,  over-persuaded,  gave  up  the  point.  As 
her  father  had  presented  the  boat  to    the    club, 


218  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

she  wanted  the  meral)ers  to  feel  that  she  belonged 
to  all,  and  not  to  her  particular  club.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Undine  Chdj  took  their  places,  Susie 
Tliaxter  being  in  the  stern-sheets  with  the  tiller- 
ropes  in  her  hands. 

"Ready!  Up  oarj!"  said  she.     "Shove  off!" 

The  last  order  was  properly  addressed  to  the 
bow  and  stroke  oarswomen,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  shove  the  boat  out  from  the  pier  ;  and,  hav- 
ing done  so,  to  elevate  their  oars,  in  readiness 
to  "let  fair'  with  the  others;  but  Don  John 
did  this  part  of  the  work  for  them,  and  pushed 
the  Undine  far  out  from  the  shore. 

"  Let  fall !  "  said  the  leader ;  and  all  the  oars 
dropped  into  the  water  as  one,  with  the  blades 
athwartships.     "  Give  way  together  I  " 

The  Undines  began  to  pull  with  a  very  slow 
and  measured  stroke,  making  the  long  pause 
when  the  oars  were  raised  out  of  the  water. 
But  slow  as  the  stroke  was,  the  boat  went  ahead 
quite  rapidly,  for  she  was  very  sharp  and  very 
light.  A  stout  boy,  without  much  expenditure 
of  force,  could  have  rowed  her  even  faster  than 
she  was  going,  and  this  slight  amount  of  muscle, 
divided    among    four    girls,  made    it    very    easy 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  219 

indeed  for  them.  Don  John  had  positively  for- 
bidden then>  to  row  any  faster  than  the  lime 
he  had  given  them,  and  Prince  had  repeated 
the  order  as  they  started. 

The  fact  was,  that  Dr.  Darhng,  Mamie's 
father,  who  was  a  wealthy  retired  physician,  had 
heen  to  see  Don  John  as  soon  as  he  learned 
the  latter  had  been  chosen  as  instructor.  He 
had  given  the  young  professor  some  excellent 
advice  in  regard  to  physical  exorcise  for  girls, 
and  had  especially  cautioned  hhn  not  to  allow 
them  to  make  hard  work  of  it.  The  points  of 
this  lesson  had  been  duly  handed  over  to 
Prince. 

The  girls  on  the  shore  clapped  their  hands 
when  the  Undine  went  off,  so  pretty  and  grace- 
ful were  the  movements  of  the  rowers  ;  and  the 
Dorcas  Club  watched  them  for  some  time.  It 
soon  appeared  that  there  were  otlier  spectatoi-s, 
for  quite  a  number  of  the  friends  of  the  girls 
were  coming  down  to  the  shore.  Among  them 
was  Dr.  Darling,  who  commended  Don  John's 
system  of  rowing  in  the  highest  terms.  But  the 
Dorcas  Club  were  not  anxious  to  make  their  first 
attempts   in   the   presence    of    an    audience,    and 


220  THE    DOECAS    CLUB. 

Prince  paddled  the  boat  away  from  the  shore, 
and  behind  a  wharf,  before  he  commenced  his 
lesson.  As  his  predecessor  had  done,  he  ex- 
plained very  fully  what  he  wished  to  accom- 
plish, and  then  taught  the  club  the  movements. 
The  girls  were  apt  scholars,  and  in  an  hour  they 
pulled  a  very  pretty  stroke,  precisely  like  that 
which  Don  John  had  given  to  the  Undines. 

"You  are  doing  bravely,"  said  Prince.  "You 
can  row  almost  as  well  as  Kitty's  club    now."' 

"  Then  I  think  we  may  go  in  and  show  our- 
selves," laughed  Minnie.  "My  father  is  on  the 
wharf,  and  I  suppose  he  W'ants  to  know  whether 
we  are  killing  ourselves  or   not." 

"  Very  well ;  we  will  go  as  closely  to  the 
shore  as  we  can  by  Don  John's  wharf,"  replied 
Prince.     "  Don't  dip  too  deep,  if  you  please." 

"But  we  don't  more  than  half  cover  the 
blades,"  said  Nellie,  who  knew  sometliing  about 
rowing  herself. 

"  I  don't  wish  you  to  dip  any  deeper  at  pres- 
ent. I  know  the  rule  is  to  cover  the  blade,  and 
Ave  shall  do  so  by  and  by.  We  must  begin  very 
gradually,  for  none  of  you  are  used  to  hard 
work.  As  you  are  strengthened  by  eixercise,  we 
Vv  ill  di])  deeper." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  221 

"  Here  comes  tiie  Undine,"  added  Minnie. 
"  How  prettily  they  row  !  " 

"  You  are  doing  about  as  well  as  the  Undines  ; 
oul}'  keep  cool,  and  don't  hurry.  One  —  two  — 
t'ii'ec  —  four  —  five  —  six.  Not  faster  than  that," 
continued  Prince. 

The  two  boats  came  alongside  of  each  other, 
l;oth  pulling  the  slow  and  measured  stroke, 
^^'hi'Jll  made  their  speed  exactly  the  same.  The 
iiistriictor  actad  as  leader,  in  the  absence  of 
Mollie  Longimore,  and  gave  the  order  to  "lie 
on  your  oars."  At  his  request  Susie  did  the 
same. 

"Are  you  tired,  girls?"  asked  Prince. 

"  Not  one  bit !  "  protested  Kitty,  in  the  Un- 
dine. 

"We  don't  have  to  use  any  strength  at  all," 
said  another. 

"  Can't  we  have  a  race  ?  "  asked  Susie  Thax- 
ter. 

"  No ;  not  on  any  account,"  replied  Prince, 
decidedly.  "By  and  by,  when  you  have  practised 
a  great  deal,  and  your  muscles  are  a  little 
hardened,  we  will  do  a  little  mild  racing." 

"  There  won't  be  any  fun,  if  we  can't  race," 
pouted  Kitty. 


222  TEE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

"  I  think  there  will  be  plenty  of  fun  ;  but  we 
shall  have  a  race  when  you  are  in  condition  for 
it.  You  might  do  yourself  more  harm  in  one 
liour  than  you  could  recover  from  in  a  year, 
if  you  exercise  too  violently.  For  the  present, 
you  must  puU  no  faster  than  the  time  I  have 
given  you.  Now  we  will  show  off  what  you 
can  do  to  the  people  on  shore." 

The  rowers  gave  way  again,  and  the  Undine 
was  instructed  to  folloAv  the  Dorcas.  Prince  led 
the  way  to  a  considerable  distance  below  the 
boat-builder's  pier,  and  then  took  a  course  back, 
which  led  the  boats  as-  near  the  shore  as  the 
depth  of  the  water  would  permit.  The  girls, 
feehng  now  that  they  were  on  exhibition,  threw 
back  their  shoulders,  and  did  their  best.  The 
instructor  counted  the  time  loud  enough  for  both 
crews  to  hear  him,  till  the  rowers  in  both  boats 
were  pulhng  .precisely  the  same  stroke.  Their 
speed  did  not  vary  a  particle,  and  the  eight  oars 
all  dipped  at  precisely  the  same  instant.  As 
they  passed  close  to  the  shore,  and  the  pier 
where  the  other  members  of  the  club  and  the 
spectators  were  assembled,  they  were  greeted 
with  hearty  applause. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  223 

"Ready  to  toss — toss!"  said  Prince,  when 
the  boats  were  abreast  of  the  pier. 

The  eight  oars  were  elevated  to  a  pcrpen- 
dicuhir,  as  though  they  had  all  been  parts  of 
the  same  machine,  the  boats  still  shooting 
ahead  under  the  impetus  given  them  before. 
This  was  the  complimentary  salute  with  which 
a  boat  acknowleges  a  civility. 

"Let  fall!  Give  way!"  continued  Prince; 
and  the  rowing  was  resumed  without  a  break 
in  the  time,  calling  from  the  spectators  a 
renewed  expression    of  approbation. 

The  boats  circled  around,  and  again  passed 
the  spectators,  tossing  the  oars  as  before,  in 
reply  to  the  applause  which  greeted  them. 
Prince  then  stopped  the  Dorcas,  and  directed  the 
Undine  to  take  a  position  abreast,  and  on  the 
starboard  side  of  her.  Side  by  side,  they  passed 
the  spectators,  a  third  time,  the  ends  of  the  oars 
almost  touching,  so  careful  was  the.  steering. 
Again  the  fair  rowers  tossed  their  oars,  in  reply 
to  the  demonstrations  on  shore. 

"  Are  you  tired  yet  ?  "  asked  Prince,  when 
they  had  been  out  an  hour  and  a  half. 

No  one  was  tired  even  in  the  slightest  degree, 


221  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

but  the  instructor  deemed  it  prudent  to  return 
to  the  shore,  where  the  two  clubs  were  greeted 
with  the  warmest  expressions  of  delight  and 
admiration.  Dr.  Darling  exjjressed  the  pleasure 
he  felt  ill  seeing  the  business  conducted  so  well, 
and  declared  that  the  girls  would  be  vastly 
benefited  by  the  exercise  thus  prudently  managed. 
The  fresh  air  was  good  for  them,  and  there  was 
BO  danger  at  present  of  over-exertion. 

''But  such  gentle  rowing  will  soon  become 
very  tame  ta  them,"  added  the  doctor, 

"  I  suppose  so,  sir.  But  when  they  have  more 
boats,  they  can  perform  all  sorts  of  manoeuvers, 
which  will  give  them  plenty  of  variety,"  replied 
Prince. 

"  You  have  two  boats  now,  and  one  build- 
ing?" 

"  Yes  sir.  Don  John  is  building  one  besides, 
on  his  own  account,  I  suppose  the  girls  will 
not  be  satisfied  till  they  have  a  boat  for  each 
of  the  five  clubs." 

"I  wish  they  had  them,  for  I  think  they  need 
this  exercise  in  the  open  air.  Don't  let  them 
overdo  it,  on  any  account." 

''I  will  not  —  if  I  can  help  it;  but  I  suppose 


THE   DOUCAS    CLUB.  225 

my  services  will  not  be  much  longer  required," 
added  Prince,  as  he  walked  into  the  shop  with 
the  doctor. 

"  You  are  building  a  boat  on  your  own  account, 
Don  John,  I  am  told,"  said  Dr.  Darling. 

"Yes,  sir.  I  think  there  will  be  a  demand 
for  row-boats  this  season,"  replied    the    builder. 

"  It  certainly  looks  like  it  now,"  laughed  the 
doctor.     "  Do  you  intend  to  sell  her  ?  " 

''Yes,  sir  —  of  course." 

"  I  will  take  her,  at  the  price  named  for  the 
other,  for  the  Dorcas  Club.  Let  me  see.  Prince. 
What  are  the  names  of  the  clubs  that  have  no 
boats  ?  " 

"  The  Fairy  and  the  Psyche." 

"Call  this  one  the  Psyche." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

Prince  reported  what  Dr.  Darling  had  done 
to  the  members  of  the  clul) ;  and  certainly  the 
prospect  was  as  bright  as  they  could  wish. 
The  next  afternoon  the  Psyche  Club  received 
its  first  lesson,  the  Lily  Club  using  the  Undine 
at  the  same  time.  On  Saturday  the  Fairy  Club 
took  its  turn ;  and  when  the  week  ended,  all 
the  elul)s  were  able  to  pull  a  boat,  though  all 
of  them  still  had  a  great  deal  to   learn. 


223  THE    DORCAS    CLUD' 

By  this  time  Don  John  had  the  frames  of  the 
two  boats  set  up,  and  all  hands  worked  early 
and  late  upon  them.  Prince  was  quite  as  en- 
thusiastic as  any  of  the  girls,  and  only  regretted 
that  ]\Iollie  Longimore  could  not  take  part  in 
the  sports;  and  his  regret  was  shared  by  Minnie 
and  Nellie.  He  continued  to  do  all  he  could 
for  the  afflicted  family,  and  called  upon  them 
three  times  a  da3\  After  the  rowing  was  fin- 
ished on  Saturday,  he  found  Minnie  and  Nelhe 
at  the  cashier's  house.  Mollic  and  her  mother 
had  become  in  some  degree  reconciled  to  the 
altered  circumstances  ;  and,  though  they  had  not 
ceased  to  mourn  him  whom  they  believed  to  be 
no  more,  they  were  calm  and  composed. 

"  I  am  sorry  3'ou  gave  that  white  envelope  to 
your  father,  Mollie,"  said  Minnie,  who  had  been 
Avaiting  for  a  fit  time  to  open  this  subject,  and 
to  return  the  money  it  had  contained. 

"  I  did  not  give  it  to  him,"  replied  Mollie. 
'You  did  not?  " 

'  I  told  3^ou  I  could  not ;  and  I   did    not.      I 
^•.n  so  glad  now  that  I  did  not!" 

"  But  you  gave  it  back  to  me  sealed,"  added 
i»linnie,  greatly  astonished. 

"•  I  didn't  mind  whether  it  was  sealed  or  not. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  227 

But  my  father  did  not  see  it,  or  know  anything 
about  it." 

"But  every  envelope  contained  money  —  every 
one  of  them." 

"  Mine  had  no  money  in  it,  I  am  sure,"  per- 
sisted MoUie.  "  I  didn't  hke  to  carry  the  envel- 
ope and  circular  into  the  liouse,  for  fear  some 
one  might  see  them.  I  gave  it  for  Prince  to 
keep  for  me  —  didn't  I,  Prince  ?  " 

"  You  did,"  replied  he,  rather  puzzled  to  deter- 
mine how  he  should  get  out  of  the  scrape. 

"Did  you  seal  it?"  asked  Minnie. 

"  Why  should  he  seal  it  when  there  was 
nothing  in  it  ?  " 

"  But  every  envelope  contained  money." 

"Then  Prince  put  the  money  into  mine,"  said 
Mollie,  blushing. 

After  some  attempts  to  evade  the  issue,  he 
was  obliged  to  confess  that  he  had  put  a  ten- 
dollar  bill  into  the  envelope  before  he  gave  it 
back  to  Mollie.  Minnie  and  Nellie  both  insisted 
upon  returning  it.  Mollie  would  not  take  the 
money ;  and  in  the  end  Prince  v/as  forced  to 
accept  it ;  but  when  he  put  it  into  his  pocket, 
he  mentally  determined  that  every  cent  of  it 
should  be  spent  for  the  benefit  of  the  Longimores. 


228  THE   DOECAS   CLUB. 


CHAPTER    Xn. 

THE   SOLITARY   OARSMAN". 

MONDAY,  the  first  day  of  vacation,  was  a 
busy  day  with  "Professor"  WiUingood, 
for  each  of  the  clubs  was  to  have  the  use  of 
one  of  the  boats  for  two  hours.  The  Dorcas 
and  the  Lily  Clubs  were  to  have  their  turn  in  the 
forenoon ;  and  Prince  took  his  place  in  the  for- 
mer for  the  first  hour ;  but  Carrie  West,  of  the 
Psyche,  acted   as   leader   in    the    Dorcas,    in   the 

absence  of  Mollie  Longimore. 

"  I  told  you  the  other  day  that  there  were  sev- 
eral things  more  for  you  to  learn,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor, when  the  boats  were  under  way,  and 
some  distance  from  the  land. 

"I  thought  we  had  learned  out,"  laughed 
Minnie.  "  We  can  row,  and  make  the  boat  go. 
What  more  is  there  to  do?" 

"  Do  you  see  those  two  yachts,  anchored  close 


THE    DORCxVS    CLUB.  229 

togetlicr?  "  asked  Prince,  pointing  to  the  Maud 
and  the  Sea  Foam,  which  were  lying  Avithin  ten 
feet  of  each  otlier. 

"I  see  tliem." 

"Suppose,  in  order  to  avoid  being  run  down 
by  a  steamer,  it  suddenly  became  necessary  for 
the  Dorcas  to  pass  between  them." 

"  It  would  be  simpl}^  impossible  to  row  through 
such  a  narrow  place,"  replied  Minnie.  "  We 
should  break  our  oars." 

"Not  at  alL" 

"  We  could  toss  oars,"  suggested  Nellie  Pat- 
terdale. 

"  And  if  the  wind  were  blowing  pretty  fresh, 
the  Ijlades  of  the  oars  would  act  as  so  many 
small  sails,  and  might  carr}^  the  boat  against  one 
of  the  yachts,  or  get  you  afoul  of  her  rigging. 
It  might  be  done  ;  but  it  is  not  the  best  way. 
Before  we  go  any  farther,  we  will  pass  through 
that  narrow  place.  When  Carrie  West  gives 
the  order,  'Ready  to  trail  —  trail!'  at  the  last 
v/ord,  you  will  each  throw  the  loom  of  the  oar 
out  of  the  rowlock,  holding  on  at  the  handle. 
It  must  bo  done,  of  course,  when  the  boat  is 
under  full  .hcadv/ay.     The    motion    of    the    boat 


230  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

will  bring  all  the  blades  of  tlie  oars  alongside. 
As  soon  as  you  are  through  the  narrow  place, 
the  order  will  be  given,  'Ship  your  oars,'  and 
you  will  place  the  loom  in  the  rowlock  again. 
Now  we  will  try  it.  Give  the  word,  Carrie, 
'Ready  to  trail.'  " 

"Ready     to    trail!"     repeated     the     leader. 
"Trail!" 

The  oars  were  permitted  to  come  alongside, 
and  held  in  this  position,  though  some  boats 
have  trail-lines  attached  to  the  oars  and  the 
gunwale,  so  that  the  whole  may  be  released. 

"Very  well,  young  ladies,"  said  the  professor, 
as  they  insisted  upon  calling  him.  "  Now  when 
you  ship  your  oars,  you  must  be  careful  not  to 
catch  a  crab." 

"  I  know  what  that  is,"  said  Eva  Doane. 

"I  am  glad  you  do  ;  but  there  is  a  difference 
of  opinion  in  regard  to  it,"  added  Prince. 
"Some  say  it  is  catching  the  oar  in  the  water, 
when  gathering  up  for  the  stroke  ;  and  others, 
that  it  is  missing  the  stroke,  or  '  rowing  dry,'  so 
that  the  rower  is  pitched  over  backwards.  Now 
haul  your  oars  well  in,  and  lift  the  blade  out 
of  the  water  wlien  you  throw  it  into    the    row- 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  23 L 

lock.  Don't  let  it  touch  the  water  again  till 
the  order  comes  to  'give  way.'  Now  try  it, 
Carrie." 

*'  Ship  your   oars  !  " 

They  were  handled  as  in  tossing  ;  and,  being 
proficient  in  this  exercise,  the  new  movement 
came  very  easily. 

"Give  way!"  added  Carrie;  and  the  rowing 
was  resumed  as  though  there  had  been  no  break 
in  it. 

The  operation  of  trailing  was  repeated  several 
times  before  Prince  would  permit  the  boat  to 
pass  between  the  two  yachts,  the  crews  of  which 
were  on  board,  getting  them  ready  for  a  cruise 
down  the  bay.  The  yachtmen  watched  the 
movements  of  the  Dorcas  and  the  Undine  with 
no  little  interest  and  admiration  ;  and  when  the 
former  passed  between  their 'yachts,  all  hands 
gave  three  rousing  cheers. 

"  Ready  to  toss  !  Toss  !  "  said  Carrie,  prompted 
by  Prince ;  and  all  the  oars  went  up,  in  response 
to  the  command. 

"Is  there  anything  more  to  learn.  Professor 
Willingood  ?  "  inquired  Minnie. 

"Plenty    more.    Miss    President,"     answered 


232  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

Prince.  "  Suppose  a  steamer  should  shoot  out 
into  the  path  of  the  boat,  so  that,  if  you  did 
not  stop  the  Dorcas,  in  going  two  or  three 
times  her  length  you  would  smash  the  steamer, 
or  be  smashed  yourself,  what  would  you  do  ? 
That's  the    conundrum." 

"Stop  rowing  and  back  water,  of  course," 
said  Eva  Doane. 

"Just  so  but, — 

"  'In  colleges  and  halls,  in  ancient  times, 
There  dwelt  a  sage  called  Discipline.' 

It  is  rather  a  starthng  thing  to  find  yourself  in 
the  path  of  a  steamboat,  for  steamers  have  an 
ugly  habit  of  smashing  small  boats  like  pipe- 
stems ;  and  without  discipline  some  might  back, 
and  others  pull,  and  whirl  the  boat  around, 
instead  of  getting  out  of  the  way.  We  will 
learn  to  do  the  thing  properly,  as  they  did  it  in 
colleges  and  halls  in  ancient  days.  The  Avord  is, 
'  Oars !  '  because  no  long  speeches  should  be 
made  when  the  boat  is  in  danger." 

"But  that  is  the  same  order  as  when  you   lie^ 
upon  the  oars,"  Minnie  objected. 

"Very  true;  and  that  is    precisely  what    you 
will  do  —  ho  upon  your  oars.     The  second  order 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  J.j6 

U,  '  Hold  water ; '  when  3011  will  drop  the  oars 
into  the  brine,  just  as  in  pulling  the  stroke. 
You  must  hold  the  handles  iirmly  for  the  resis- 
tance may  be  so  great  as  to  throw  you  off  your 
seats.  Now  go  ahead  again  and  we  will  try 
it." 

"  Give  Avay/'  said  the  leader  ;  and  the  girls 
pulled  till  the  Dorcas  was  under    full   headway. 

"Now  is  your  time,  Carrie,"  added  Prince. 

"Oars!"  shouted  Carrie,  sharply. 

Instantly  every  rower  was  lying  on  her  oars, 
with  the  flat  of  the  blade  just  above  the  water. 

"Hold  water!"  added  the  leader,  an  instant 
later. 

The  girls  turned  the  oai-s,  and  dropped  them 
into  the  water.  In  a  few  moments  the  progress 
of  the  Dorcas  was  checked,  and  she  lay  motion- 
less. 

"Very  Avell,  indeed,"  said  the  instructor. 
"But  it  is  often  necessary  to  do  something 
more  than  merely  "hold  water,'  and  the  order, 
*  Stern,  all !  '  is  given,  at  which  you  must  all 
row  backwards  or  back  water." 

"We  can  do  that,"  added  Minnie. 

"  I  know    you    can  ;  but    you    need    practice ; 


234  THE   DOllCAS    CLUB. 

otherwise,  an  order  quickly  given  may  throw 
you  into  confusion,  at  a  time  when  you  have 
not  a  moment  to  spare.  Now  try  it,  Carrie. 
Go  ahead,  hold  water,  and  then  hack  her." 

"Give  way!"  said  the  leader;  and  the  Dor- 
cas darted  off. 

"I  want  you  to  notice  how  quickly  you  can 
check  her  headway,"  continued  Prince. 

"  Oars  !  "  added  the  leader,  at  the  right  moment. 

'•  Hold  water  !     Stern,  all  I  " 

It  was  a  failure,  for  in  backing  water  the 
rowers  lost  the  stroke.  Ruth  was  hit  in  the 
back  by  the  handle  of  Eva's  oar,  and  all  cf 
them  were  thrown  into  confusion. 

"  I  thought  you  said  you  could  do  that," 
laughed  Prince. 

"  Carrie  gave  the  orders  too  rapidly,"  pleaded 
Minnie. 

"  Not  too  rapidly,"  said  the  instructor.  "If 
there  is  danger  ahead,  you  can't  stop  to  dream 
about  it ;  3^0 u  must  act.  Now,  you  must  keep 
doing  it  till  the  movement  will  execute  itself, 
for  it  is  the  most  important  one  I  have  given 
you.  You  will  often  be  required  to  do  it  in 
emergencies.     V/lieu  v,-e  have  the  four  boats  outj 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  235 

you  will  be  in  constant  peril  of  running  into 
each  other,  if  you  don't  know  how  to  handle 
your  boats  properly." 

Carrie  started  the  boat  again,  and  repeated 
the  orders  as  before  ;  but  the  club  again  failed 
to  hit  the  back  stroke  together.  The  next  time, 
it  was  done  more  slowly  and  with  better  suc- 
cess. The  manoeuvre  was  executed  a  dozen 
times  before  Prince  was  satisfied  with  it.  As 
the  first  hour  had  expired,  the  Dorcas  headed 
for  the  shore,  in  order  to  transfer  the  professor- 
to  the  Undine,  to  whose  crew  he  Avas  to  give 
the  same  lessons. 

"  In  bow  !  "  said  Carrie,  prompted  by  Prince, 
as  the  boat  approached  tlie    landing-place. 

Nellie  Patterdale,  who  pulled  the  bow  oar, 
unshipped  it,  and  repaired  to  the  four-sheets, 
with  the  light  boat-hook  in  her  hand,  in  readi- 
ness to  fend  off,  or  fasten  to  the  pier. 

"  Way  enough,"  added  the  leader ;  whereat 
the  three  remaining  rowers  tossed  their  oars,'  and 
then  boated,  or,  in  other  words,  deposited  them 
in  the  boat  by  the  gunwale,  Avhere  they  be- 
longed. 

The  Dorcas  lost  her  headway  just  as  the  l)ow 


23b  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

came  up  to  the  pier ;  but  Prince  had  indicated 
to  Carrie  Avhen  to  give  the  order. 

"  We  hit  it  just  right,"  said  Nellie,  as  she 
hooked  into  the  pier,  and  drew  the  boat  along- 
side it. 

"  You  must  be  very  careful  indeed,  when  you 
make  a  landing,  to  estimate  the  distance  cor- 
rectly," added  the   professor. 

"  I  know  the  distance  now,"  replied  Carrie  ; 
"  and  I  am  sure  I  can  hit  it  right  every   time." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,"  laughed  Prince,  shaking 
his  head;  "for  it  will  hardly  be  twice  the  same. 
If  the  wind  is  blowing  strong  off  shore,  it  will 
be  less ;  if  on  shore,  more.  You  must  make  the 
proper  allowance  every  time  ;  but  you  had  better 
make  too  great  rather  than  too  small  an  allovv^- 
ance.  It  is  safer  to  fall  short  of  the  pier,  than 
to  run  into  it,  and  smash  your  boat.  Here 
comes  the  Undine ;  let  us  see  how  she  does 
it." 

She  did  it  badly,  for  Kate  Bilder  made  too 
little  allowance  for  the  headway  of  the  boat,  and 
if  Prince  had  not  caught  the  bow,  she  would 
have  driven  her  stem  into  the  pier.  The  pro- 
fessor took  his  place  in   the    Undine,    and    went 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  237 

over  tlie  same  grouDcl  as  in  the  Dorcas.  Before 
noon  he  had  finished  the  lesson,  and  then  both 
chibs  practiced  in  making  the  pier.  While  they 
did  so,  Prince  stood  on  the  wharf,  with  a  l)o;it- 
hook  in  his  hand,  to  prevent  any  accident;  hut 
the  leaders  were  so  careful  that  the  boats  1\11 
short  every  time.  This  Avas  a  mistake  on  the 
safe  side,  and  the  instructor  was  satisfied  to 
leave  the  matter  where  it  was.  The  lessons  for 
the  forenoon  were  finished,  the  boats  secured, 
and  all  hands  went  home  to  dinner.  At  two 
o'clock  the  rowing  was  I'csumcd  by  tlie  Undine 
and  Psyche  Clul)S,  and  the  professor  repeated 
his  instructions  till  Ihcy  had  become  rather 
monotonous  to  him.  At  four  o'clock,  he  went 
over  the  old  story  with  the  Fairy  Club,  in  the 
Undine,  the  Dorcas  Club  using  the  other 
boat. 

"Hullo!" 

The  shcut  came  from  a  small  boat,  pulled  by 
one  man,  directly  ahead  of  the  Psyche.  Carrie 
West  was  putting  her  knowledge  to  a  practical 
test,  steering  the  boat  towards  the  craft  before 
her,  intending  to  "hold  water,"  and  "back  her," 
in  season  to  avoid  a  collision.     The  lonely  oars- 


238  THE    DORCxVS    CLUB. 

man  seemed  to  fear  a  catastrophe,  and  had 
thrown  up  a  warning  note ;  but  the  intrepid 
leader  of  the  Psyche  brought  her  to  a  dead 
stand  not  more  than  half  a  boat's  length  from 
him. 

"  Hullo ! "  yelled  the  man,  as  the  Psyche 
stopped;  "are  you  go'n  to  run  into  me?" 

"I  hadn't  the  least  idea  of  doing  so,  sir," 
replied  Carrie. 

"  That's  rather  a  close  shave,"  added  the  soli- 
tary \ower,  shaking  his  head. 

"  We  can  do  it  nineteen  times  more,  without 
touching  you,"  laughed  the  leader. 

•'  I'd  ruther  you  don't  try  it  again.  You'll 
break  the  bow  of  that  pretty  boat  all  to  flin- 
ders, if  you  cut  so  clost,"  added  the  stranger. 

"  No  danger,  sir." 

'•  But  it  makes  my  nervos  rather  shakey.  I've 
got  as  many  nerves  as  a  lady." 

"  We  Avill  not  go  near  you  again,  then,"  added 
Carrie. 

"  I'm  ruther  glad  you  fetched  up  so  clost,  for 
I  want  to  see  you." 

"See  me!"  exclaimed  the  leader,  merrily. 

"  Well,  no  ;  not  exactly  the  gal,   but   the   fel- 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  239 

ler  with  3'ou. —  Be  you  J.  Prince   Willingood  ?  " 

"  Tliat's  my  name." 

"  He's  the  professor,"  chuckled  Carrie. 

"I  s'pose  so,"  added  the  lonely  rowist,  who 
did  not  indulge  in  a  smile,  much  less  a  laugh, 
hut  looked  as  solemn  as  an  owl.  "  I  want  to 
see  the  professor.     I  Avant  to  talk  with   him." 

"  I'm  engaged  just  now,"  rephed  Prince. 

"  Engaged  to  all  them  gals?  "  queried  the  man, 
gloomily. 

"  We  release  you  fi-om  the  engagenjient," 
laughed  Carrie. 

"  I  will  be  at  Don  John's  boat-house  in  a 
few  minutes,"  added  Prince.  "I  will  see  you 
there." 

"  That's  half  a  mile  off,  and  I  ain't  so  fond 
of  rowing  as  them  gals.  I  want  to  see  you  very 
bad." 

"  How  bad  ?  " 

"  Bad  enough  to  do  almost  anything." 

"Who  is  he.  Prince?"  asked  one  of  the 
girls. 

"  It's  Simon  Potter,  I  think,"  replied  Prince. 

"  That's  my  name  ;  and  I  live  in  the  woods 
down    to    Northport,"    added    the    man,    whose 


240  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

hearing  was  excellent,  though,  he  seemed  to  be 
somewhat  advanced  in  years.  If  you  git  into 
my  boat,  I'll  pull  you  up  to  the  boat-shop  while 
we're  talkin'/' 

*'  We  can  return  Avithout  you,  professor,"  said 
Carrie. 

"  You  won't  break  the  wharf  down  when  you 
land  —  will  you  ?  " 

*'  I  Avili  try  not  to  do  so,"  replied  Carrie. 

*'  Because  we  shall  want  it  this  season,  and 
don't  wish  to  have  it  ;•  mashed." 

"  I  will  be  careful." 
-    "Very    well.      I    will    see    what   this  worth}'- 
gentleman    desia'es.      Pull,  starboard;  back,  port 
oars." 

The  Undine  swung  around,  so  that  Prince 
could  step  into  the  boat  of  the  solitary  oarsman. 
As  he  seated  himself  in  the  stern,  the  club  gave 
way  again,  and  was  soon  out  of  hailing  dis- 
tance. 

''  You  don't  know  me  much,  Prince,"  said 
Simon  Potter. 

*'Not  much." 

The  lonely  rower  had  the  reputation  of  being 
a  strange  man,  and  his  looks  were   fully    up    to 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  241 

his  reputation.  He  was  short  in  stature,  being 
not  more  than  five  feet  four  in  height.  His  hair 
was  always  cut  short,  and  what  there  was  of 
it  was  of  a  yellowish-white  ;  but  his  beard,  of 
the  same  color,  reached  neaily  down  to  his 
waist.  He  always  wore  coarse  gra}^  pants,  very 
large  and  bagging,  and  a  short  blue  frock, 
reaching  to  his  hips,  over  whatever  other  gar- 
ments he  had  on.  Winter  and  summer,  his 
fashion  was  always  the  same.  His  hat  —  when 
he  wore  any — was  an  ordinary  "stove-pipe,"  at 
least  so  far  as  the  brim  was  concerned;  but  he 
had  cut  away  the  crown,  and  rolled  it  up  into  the 
shape  of  a  cone.  Certainly  it  was  a  "  shocking 
bad  hat,"  and  those  who  saw  it  upon  his  head 
immediately  concluded  that  Simon  Potter  was  a 
crazy  man  If  he  walked  through  the  streets  of 
the  city,  every  boy  stopped  and  turned  round 
to  look  at  him  as  a  curiosity. 

If  the  solitary  rower  was  not  crazy,  he  was 
eccentric.  The  tradition  in  regard  to  him  was 
that  he  had  graduated  at  Bowdoin  College, 
studied  medicine,  and  established  himself  in 
practice.  He  was  married ;  but  being  a  singular 
man,  his  wife  could  not  live  with  him,  and  de- 
16 


242  THE   DORCAS   CLFB. 

serted  him.  This  misfortune  seemed  to  disgust 
hiiQ  with  civilization  and  society.  In  order  to 
get  away  from  everybody,  he  "  camped  out "  for 
a  summer  on  the  lonely  Northport  shore.  Then 
he  bought  a  considerable  tract  of  land,  and  l)uilt 
a  small  house  and  barn  upon  it,  where  he  lived 
entirely  alone.  He  cultivated  ground  enough  to 
afford  him  all  the  vegetables  he  wanted,  and  to 
enable  him  to  keep  a  cow.  If  anybody  called 
to  see  him,  he  was  not  at  home,  for  he  con- 
cealed himself  in  the  woods,  when  he  saw  visi- 
tors approaching.  Two  or  three  times  a  year, 
he  went  to  the  city  to  purchase  supphes  and 
collect  his  interest,  for  he  had  money  invested 
there. 

"  Nobody  knows  me  much,"  said  Simon  Pot- 
ter. "  I  don't  want  to  know  folks  much.  I 
keep  out  of  the  way." 

"Why  do  you  keep  out  of  the  way?"  asked 
Prince. 

"Because  it  suits  me  best.  I  don't  like  folks 
any  better' n  folks  like  me.  We  don't  agree ; 
and  I'm  willin'  to  let  them  alone,  if  they'll  let 
me  alone." 

"  I  have  heard  it  said  that  you  were  a  doc- 
tor." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  243 

"  I  ain't  no  doctor  now.  I  used  to  be,  but  1 
ain't  now,  and  don't  mean  to  be  agin.  I  got 
tired  o'  livin'  when  I  wan't  more'n  thirty*  years 
ohl.  I've  been  ready  to  die  ever  since ;  I'm 
only  Avaitin'  for  my  time  to  come.  I  don't  trou- 
l)le  nobody,  and  nobody  troubles  me  —  except 
peddlers  and  lightnin'-rod  men." 

"  You  must  be  very  lonely." 

"  No,  I  ain't.  I  don't  want  no  company,  and 
never  have  none.  How  deep  do  you  suppose 
the  water  is  down  here?  "  said  the  strange  man, 
resting  on  his  oars,  and  looking  into   the    water. 

"  I  don't  know ;  fift)''  feet,  perhaps,"  replied 
Prince. 

"I  s'pose  you  knew  Mr.  Longimore?" 

"Very  well,  indeed." 

"  Do  you  s'pose  he's  down  there  ?  "  added 
Simon  Potter,  pointing  impressively  into  the 
water. 

"I'm  afraid  he  is." 

"  Drowned  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"He  was  a  good  man.  He  used  to  git  my 
interest  for  me,  and  give  it  to  me  without 
laughin'  at  me,  as  other  folks  do.  I'm  sorry 
he's  dead." 


2i4  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  He  was  a  fine  man." 

"  Yes  lie  was.  He  never  bothered  me  with 
questions  I  don't  want  to  answer.  He  told  me 
once  that  you  were  a  good  boy." 

"I  try  to  be." 

"  I  want  you  to  do  some  things  for  me.  Will 
you?     I'll  pay  you  for  it." 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  do  anything  I  can  for 
you,"  answered  Prince,  promptly. 

"  Now  Mr.  Longimore's  gone,  I  want  some- 
body to  collect  my  interest  for  me,  and  bring 
it  to  me,  for  I  don't  want  to  go  to  the  city 
any  more.  Folks  stare  at  me,  and  laugh  at  me. 
You  can  buy  some  things  for  me,  when  1  want 
'em.     I'll  pay  you  well  for  all  you  do." 

"I  will  do  anything  of  this  kind  you  wish." 

"  Thank  ye,  Prince ;  "  and  Simon  Potter  sud- 
denly relapsed  into  a  fit  of  deep  musing,  during 
which  he  gazed  intently  into  the  water. 

"When  shall  I  collect  your  interest.  Dr. 
Potter  ?  "  asked  the  young  man,  when  he  was 
tired  of  the   silence. 

"Don't  call  me  doctor.     I'm  no  doctor  now." 

"Excuse  me  —  Mr.  Potter." 

"Nor  mister,  nuther.     Call  mc  Simon    Potter. 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  245 

Do  you  suppose  Mr.  Longimore  lias  gone  to 
heaven,  Prince  ?  " 

"  He  was  a  Christian  man,  and  J  have  no 
tloubt  of  it." 

"  If  he  ain't  dead  ?  " 

"  Well,  no  ;  not  if  he  is  alive." 

"Folks  think  he's  gone  to  heaven, — don't 
they?" 

"I  don't  knov/  what  they  think.  Prohably 
those  who  believe  he  stole  the  bonds  dor/t  think 
so." 

"How  old  arc  you.  Prince?"  asked  Simon 
Potter,  looking  him  earnestly  in  the  face. 

"Seventeen." 

"Have  you  come  to  years  of  discretion 
yet?" 

"I  think  I  have,"  laughed    Prince. 

"Some  boys  don't  never  come  to  years  of 
discretion,  added  the  strange  man,  solennily. 

"  Are  you  afraid  to  trust  me  with  your  in- 
terest money,  IMr.  Potter  ?  " 

"  Simon  Potter  is  my  name.  I  shall  soon  be 
in  the  Potter's  Field." 

Tlie  words  f.oiineled  like  a  grim  joke  ;  but  the 
speaker  did  not  cmilc.     lie  never  smiled. 

"I  hope  not,"  added  Prince. 


246  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  Don't  wish  me  ill.  I  ain't  afraid  to  trust 
3'ou  with  my  interest  money.  It's  clue  the  first 
clay  of  Jnly.  The  cashier  used  to  have  it  ready 
for  me  the  next  day.  Do  you  s'pose  Mr.  Longi- 
more  is  dead  ?  " 

"  His  wife  and  daughter  think  so ;  and  I  have 
no  reason  to  doubt  it,"  answered  Prince. 

"His  folks  feel  bad— don't  they?" 

"Very  badly." 

"  I'm  sorry  for  'em,  for  Mr.  Longimore  was 
a  good  man.  I'm  sorry  they  think  he  is  dead, 
I  mean." 

"Don't  you  think  he  was  drowned?"  asked 
Prince,  perplexed  by  the  odd  speech  of  his  com- 
panion. 

"  I  love  the  cashier.  He's  the  only  man  on 
the  airth  I  care  for.     He  don't  laugh  at  me." 

"But  isn't  he  drowned?  "  demanded  Prince. 

"  The  water's  fifty  feet  deep  here,  you  say. 
If  you  tell  anybody  what  I  say.  Prince,  except 
them  I  tell  you  to  tell,  those  who  want  to  know 
more  about  it  will  find  my  body  at  the  bottom 
of  the  bay,  fifty  feet  down." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  " 

"If  you  say  one  word  more'n  I  tell  you  to, 
you'll  wrong  me,  and  3'ou'll  wrong  — " 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  247 

"Whom?"  asked  Prince,  when    the  old    man 
paused. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  ! ' 

Prince  was  thoroughly  excited  now. 


248  THE   DOECAS    CLUB. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

MOTHER    AND   DAUGHTER. 

"'T~\0  3'oii  really  mean  that  ]\Ir.  Longimore 
JLJ^  is  alive  ? "  asked  Prince  of  liis  eccen- 
tric companion. 

"I  hope  I  hain't  made  no  mistake  in  tellin' 
you,"  replied  Simon  Potter,  doubtfully. 

"•You  have  not  made  a  mistake;  that  is — " 

Prince  stopped  there,  for  it  suddenly  occurred 
to  him  that  he  could  not  he  a  party  to  the  con- 
cealment of  one  charged  witli  robbing  the  bank 
of  forty  thousand  dollars  in  bonds. 

"That  ij!"'  repeated  the  strange  man.  •'! 
see!  I  ain't  no  doctor,  but  I  can  read  your 
thoughts,  Mr.  Longimore  Avon't  be  sent  to 
jail;  he'll  die  fust.  I  won't  be  the  cause  of 
sendin'  him  to  jail;  I'll  die  fust.  Now,  Prince, 
let  me  tell  you  jest  how  it'll  all  v/ork.  You'll 
go  up  to  the  city,  tell  tlie  president  of  the  bank, 


CL, 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  249 

or  the  deputy  sheriff,  or  some  one  else,  tlmt  Mr. 
Lonjimore  i.i  alive,  and  that  Simon  Potter  knows 
soraoMiin^'  about  him.  The  sheriff  comes  down 
to  Northport  to  look  after  me.  lie  don't  find  me. 
Whore  am  I  ?  A  cold  body,  fifty  feet  under 
water.     I   can't  tjli  nothin'  then  —  can  I?" 

"I  should  say  not,"  replied  Prince,  breathless 
with  iutorcit. 

"  He  can't  git  even  a  hint  out  of  me ;  but 
the  sheriff  will  start  from  my  place  to  look  after 
the  cashier.  Where  is  he  ?  A  cold  body,  fifty 
feet  under  water !  He  won't  do  the  bank  officers 
no  good  then." 

"Bat  where   is  Mr.  Longimore?" 

"•  I  hain't  told  you." 

"You  have  as  good  as  told  me  he   is  alive," 

"'Then  his  life  and  mine  is  in  your  hands," 
replied  Simon  Potter.  "  He  couldn't  stand  it 
no  longer ;  and  sumthin'  had  to  be  done.  Ho 
fixed  on  you  to  do  it." 

"  What  can  I  do  ?  I'm  only  a  boy,"  pleaded 
Prince,  awed  by  the  awful  responsibility  imposed 
upon  him. 

"  Only  tell  his  v/ife  and  the  oldest  darter  that 
he  ain't  dead.     Nothiu'  more." 


250  THE    DOBCAS    CLUB. 

"But  how  can  I  know  anything  about  him, 
and  keep  still,  wlien  he  is  charged  with  robbing 
the  bank?  "  added  Prince. 

"  He  is  as  innocent  as  you  are  of  stealing  the 
bonds,"  protested  Simon  Potter,  so  excited  that 
lie  dropped  the  illiterate  style  of  speaking,  which  he 
had  adopted  from  the  first,  apparently  to  do  away 
wiih  the  impression  that  he  might  be  a  doctor. 

"Innocent!"  exclaimed  the  young  man. 

"Ho  is  innocent;  but  he  may  never  be  able  to 
prove  lii.;  innocence." 

"  AVhore  are  the  bonds,  then?" 

"  I  cannot  answer  you.  Will  you  keep  the 
poor  m'an's  secret  ?  Will  you  save  him  from 
death  ?     Answer  me  at  once." 

"  Is  it  right  for  me  to  keep  such  a  secret  ?  " 

"  Settle  that  for  yourself.  I  am  not  the  keeper 
of  your  conscience.  It  is  right  for  me  to  keep 
it,  for  I  know  he  is  innocent." 

"  I  am  afraid  to  promise,"  replied  Prince,  sadly 
bewildered  by  the  difficulty  of  the  situation. 

"  I  respect  your  scruples,  Prince ;  but  Mr. 
Longimore's  life  is  in  your  hands.  His  hope  is 
in  you.  For  more  reasons  than  I  am  j)erniitted 
to  name  now,  he  has  chosen  you   to    help    him. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  251 

If  you  disappoint  him,  he  has  nothing  to  hope 
fjr  in  this   Avorld." 

"  But  I  cannot  promise  to  conceal  a  crime. 
I  have  no  right  to  do  it,"  protested  Prince. 

"  I  don't  wish  you  to  conceal  a  crime.  There 
has  been  no  crime  to  conceal.  I  am  not  des- 
pcratly  wicked  and  given  over  to  sin  and  in- 
iquity, any  more  than  yourself,  young  man," 
added  Simon  Potter.  "  I  would  no  more  con- 
ceal a  crime  than  you  would.  That  is  not  the 
point." 

"  What  is  the  point,  then  ? "  asked  Prince, 
deeply  interested. 

"  There  comes  them  gals  agin,"  said  the 
strange  man,  suddenly  resuming  his  usual  dialect, 
and  putting  on  the  hat  with  the  conic  crown. 
"  Gals  has  ears." 

But  the  Undine  only  shot  past  the  solitary 
rower,  and  was  soon  out  of  liearing. 

"  Them  gals  will  want  to  know  what  my 
business  was  with  you,"  said  Simon  Potter,  witli 
a  rather  troubled  expression,  as  he  took  off  tlie 
conic  hat,  and  placed  it  on  the  thwart  by  his 
side. 

"  You  wished  me  to  collect   your  interest    for 


252  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

yoLi.  You  do  not  object  to  my  saying  as  much 
as  that  to  them  if  asked  —  do  you?" 

"No,  I  don't." 

"  It  will  he  no  more  than  the  truth." 

"It  is  only  a  small  part  of  the  truth  ;  and 
half  the  truth  is  sometimes  as  much  a  lie  as  a 
deliberate  falsehood.  You  mean  to  be  honest, 
Prince  ;  but  don't  cheat  yourself.  Don't  believe 
3'ou  are  honest  when  you  are  not.  Thieves, 
swindlers,  and  cheats  persuade  themselves  that 
tliey  arc  honest.  Instead  of  telling  half  the 
truth,  say  to  the  girls  that  the  matter  does  not 
concern  them.     That's  honest." 

"I  don't  think  it  is  a  lie  to  tell  as  mvich  of 
the  truth  as  I  think  proper,  when  the  truth  does 
not  concern  those  asking  the  questions,"  replied 
Prince,  who  had  some  very  clear  ideas  of  his 
own  on  this  subject,  whether  they  were  right  or 
wrong. 

"  You  may  judge  for  yourself  on  that  point," 
added  Simon  Potter.  "  Men  and  women  are  full 
oi  lies  and  deceit.  They  cheat  and  defraud  each 
other.     But  this  is  not  the  question  now." 

"  You  began  to  tell  me  what  the  point  was." 

"  You  are  not  asked  to  conceal  a  crime,   or  to 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  253 

favor  tlie  escape  of  a  criminal.  Mr.  Longimore 
is  not  a  thief  or  a  robber,  whatever  the  people  of 
the  city  may   think. 

"  I  am  ver}^  glad  to  hear  you  say  so." 

"  But  you  don't  believe  what  I  say." 

"  I  certainly  desire  to  believe  it." 

"That  is  all  I  ask.  Now  to  the  point.  The 
cashier  is  practically  charged  with  a  crime.  If 
he  could  be  found,  he  would  be  arrested  and 
thrown  into  jail.  This  Avould  break  his  heart, 
which  would  be  the  same  thino-  as  breaking;  his 
neck.  The  bonds  are  gone  ;  the  cashier  is  gone. 
These  two  things  would  convict  him,  under  the 
circumstances.  The  story  he  has  to  tell  would 
not  be  believed,  for  the  only  witness  he  has 
Avill  lie,  w^ill  perjure  himself,  will  send  him  to 
the  penitentiary  for  life,  in  order  to  enable  the 
perjurer  to  make  a  hundred  dollars." 

^  Who  is  the  witness  ?  " 

"I  cannot  tell  you;  but  I  have  told  you  the 
exact  truth.  I  would  not  tell  a  lie  to  save  my 
neck  from  the  gallows,  or  my  body  from  a  damp 
grave  fifty  feet  under  the  cold  waters  of  the 
bay.     I  ask  of  you  only  two  things." 

"What  are  they?" 


254  THE   DOECAS   CLUB, 

"  First,  that  you  will  tell  Mrs.  Longimore  her 
husband  is  alive." 

"I  will  do  that  with  the  greatest  pleasure." 

"But  you  must  not  mention  my  name." 

"Will  she  believe  me? 

"  She  will ;  or,  if  she  will  not,  she  shall  not 
remain  twenty-four  hours  in  doubt." 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Longimore  ?  "  asked  Prince, 
shaking  himself  to  make  sure  that  he  was  not 
dreaming. 

"I  will  not  tell  you   yet." 

"Well,  what  is  the  other  thing  I  am  to 
do  ?  " 

"  You  are  to  see  Mr.  Longimore,  and  satisfy 
yourself  of  the  truth  of  what  I  said,  before  you 
speak  to  any  living  soul,  except  the  cashier's 
wife  and  daughter." 

"  Certainly  I  will  do  that.  But  when  may  I 
see  him  ?  " 

"This  nighf." 

"  I  promise,  then,  to  keep  the  secret  till  I 
have  seen  him." 

"  Very  well  ;  but  you  must  remember  that 
any  treachery  on  your  part  will  cost  him  his 
life." 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  255 

"  I  am  not  capable  of  treachery,  Simon  Pot- 
ter. I  have  tried  to  believe  that  Mr.  Longi- 
more  was  guilty  of  no  crime  ;  and  until  I  have 
Been  him  —  if  I  am  indeed  to  see  him  —  nothing 
ijhall  induce  me  to  betray  him.  I  could  not  do 
tluit.     Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  At  my  house  in  the  woods.  That  is  all  I 
can  tell  you  now.  You  must  come  to-night ; 
you  must  come  alone.  No  one  must  see  you. 
I  will  meet  you  at  the  mouth  of  Little  River, 
at  any  hour  you  say." 

Prince  actually  trembled  when  he  realized  the 
nature  of  the  adventure  he  was  to  engage  in  ; 
but  he  was  a  plucky  boy  ;  and  he  believed  the 
strange  inhabitant  of  the  Northport  wood  was 
honest  and  sincere,  high-toned  and  high-minded. 
He  considered  the  situation  for  a  moment  before 
ho  made  any  reply.  Whatever  he  did,  he  must 
do  without  the  knowledge  of  Fox  Bushwell,  or 
any  other   person. 

"  I  will  be  at  the  mouth  of  Little  River  about 
lialf  past  ten  to-night,"  said  he,  "or  as  near 
that  time  as  I  can.  It  may  be  half  an  hour 
earlier,  or  half  an  hour  later." 

"It  will  not  harm    me    to  wait.     I    am    used 


£5G  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

to  the  night  and  the  darkness,  the  cold  and 
the  storm,"  added  Simon  Potter.  "  As  soon  as 
you  can,  tell  the  poor  wife  that  her  husband 
lives." 

"  I  will ;  I  only  fear  that  she  will  not  believe  me, 
because  I  cannot  tell  her  any  more,"  replied 
Prince. 

**  She  shall  believe  you." 

Simon  Potter  drew  in  one  of  his  oars,  and, 
raising  his  short  blue  frock,  he  took  from  one 
of  his  pockets  a  dirty  slip  of  paper,  which  he 
handed  to  his  companion. 

"What  is  that?" 

"  It  is  a  mcs.sage  in  writing  from  the  husband 
to  his  wife.  I  dared  not  speak  of  it  before.  If 
it  should  be  found,  all  will  be  lost.  There  is 
death  to  the  cashier  in  that  note,  if  it  should 
be  seen  by  any  one  but  his  wife  and  the  oldest 
daughter.  Do  you  understand  ?  Beware,  3"oung 
inan  ! " 

Prince  thought  the  solitary  oarsman  was 
becoming  a  little  melodramatic,  and  he  could  not 
help  asking  himself  whether  the  business  in 
which  he  was  engaged  was  not  some  trick, 
some  fancy  of  a    disordered    brain.     As    he  was 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  257 

thinking,  he  opened  the  unsealed  note  in  his 
hand.  It  was  certainly  the  writing  of  the  cash- 
ier, with  which  the  young  man  was  quite 
familiar.  He  read  it,  and  then  carefully  placed 
the  paper  in  his  wallet.  The  boat  in  which  he 
sat  was  still  far  from  tlie  shop  of  Don  John 
for  Simon  had  hardly  rowed  at  all  during  the 
conversation. 

"  I  guess  it's  all  fixed  now,"  said  the  strange 
man,  with  the  nearest  appearance  to  a  smile 
which  Prince  had  yet  seen  upon  his  face  ;  and 
with  this  remark  he  resumed  his  old  tone  and 
his  usual  dialect. 

"  If  you  will  land  me  on  the  beach  here,  I 
will  not  trouble  you  to  pull  up  to  the  boat- 
shop,  added  Prince,  glancing  at  the  shore,  near 
which  Simon  had  kept  his  boat,  to  avoid  meet- 
ing other  craft. 

"  That'll  be  a  good  deal  better'n  goin'  up  to 
the  shop,  and  givin'  them  that's  there  sumthin' 
to  talk  about,"  added  the  oarsman,  as,  with  a 
few  vigorous  strokes,  he  drove  his  craft  far  up 
on  the  beach. 

"I  can  walk  up  in  a  few  moments." 

"Now,  remember,  young  man,  that  the  life 
17 


258  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

of  one  that  never  did  notliin'  wrong  to  no  one 
is  in  your  hands,"  said  Simon  Potter,  in  a  low 
tone. 

"  Tell  him  he  can  trust  me,  and  that  I  will 
do  all  that  a  mortal  can  do  to  help  him." 

Prince  shoved  the  old  man's  boat  back  into 
the  deep  water,  and  then  hastened  up  to  the 
boat-shop,  where  he  arrived  at  six  o'clock,  just 
as  the  Dorcas  and  the  Undine  came  in.  He 
assisted  in  housing  the  boats,  and  the  girls  were 
so  full  of  enthusiasm  in  regard  to  the  excursion, 
that  he  thought  he  should  be  asked  no  ques- 
tions about  his  relations  Avith  the  strange  man 
of  the  Northport  woods,  but  he  was  mistaken. 

"  What  in  the  world  did  that  old  man  with 
the  conic  section  on  his  head  want  of  you,  Pro- 
fessor Willingood?"  asked  Carrie  West. 

"  He  wanted  me  to  do  some  business  for  him. 
Strange  as  he  is,  that  old  man  owns  land  and 
has  money  invested  in  the  city." 

"What  does  he  Avear  that  awful  hat  for?" 

"Why  do  you  Avear  such  a  funny  hat?" 

"  Because  it  is  the  fashion." 

"  Well,  that  hat  is  Simon  Potter's  fashion. 
He  is  a  fashion  unto  himself.       But    I   must    go 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  259 

home  ;  "  and  Prince  ran  away  with  more  abrupt- 
ness than  he  often  dared  to  use  with  the  girls. 

He  went  home  and  ate  his  supper,  wliich  was 
all  ready  when  he  arrived.  It  was  not  a  bad 
supper,  for  Fox  Bushwell  had  provided  much 
better  for  the  table  since  the  scene  with  his 
ward.  But  Prince,  hungry  as  he  v/as,  tliought 
less  of  his  suj:)per  than  usual  that  evening.  Half 
a  dozen  times  while  he  was  eating,  he  put  his 
Rand  into  his  pocket  to  assure  himself  of  the 
safety  of  the  wallet  containing  that  little  slip  of 
paper.  What  a  sensation  that  note  would  make 
if  its  contents  were  known  to  the  i)eoplc  of  the 
cit}- !  If  the  editor  of  the  newspaper  could  get 
hold  of  it,  he  would  doubtless  issue  an  extra,  to 
inform  his  patrons  of  the  astounding  intelligence 
it  revealed. 

Prince  kept  as  calm  as  he  could  ;  but  as  soon 
as  his  meal  was  finished,  he  hastened  to  the 
house  of  the  cashier.  The  time  was  opportune, 
for  the  younger  children  had  all  been  sent  to 
bed,  and  Mrs.  Longimore  and  jNIollic  were  alone 
in  the  sitting-room. 

"  Anything  for  me  to  do,  Mrs.  Longimore  ?  " 
asked  Prince,    with   more    cheerfulness    than    he 


260  THE   DOKCAS    CLUB. 

had  dared  to  exhibit  since  the  departure   of    the 
cashier. 

"  Nothing  at  all,  Prince.  You  are  very  kind 
to  take  so  much  care  of  us,"  replied  Mrs.  Lon- 
gimore. 

"  I  should  be  ashamed  of  myself  if  I  did    any 
less.      If    you    only    knew  how  happy  it  makes 
me  to  help  you,  you  would  let  me  do  more.      It 
is    vacation    this    week,    and  I  have    plenty    of 
time." 

"  I  heard  you  were  very  busy  teaching  the 
girls  how  to  row." 

'■'■  I  have  been ;  but  they  can  all  row  pretty 
well  now,  and,  like  Othello,  my  occupation's 
gone." 

"  Minnie  and  Nellie  were  here  this  afternoon," 
continued  Mrs.  Longimore.  "  They  let  me  have 
another  hundred  dollars,  though  I  do  not  need 
it.  I  have  used  but  little  of  the  first  money 
they  gave  me.  I  protested  against  taking  it  ; 
but  they  said  I  must.  They  want  Mollie  to  go 
back  to  scliool  next  Monday." 

"  I  hope  she  will  do  so.  She  will  graduate 
next  year,  and  it  will  be  a  pity  for  her  not  to 
have  her  diploma." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  261 

"  I  cannot  go  and  leave  mother  to  do  all  the 
work,"  said  Mollie. 

"  There  is  no  more  Avork  than  before,"  added 
the  mother,   who  evidently  favored  the  idea. 

"  But  I  cannot  go.  I  don't  think  I  ought  to 
associate  with  the  other  girls  now,"  replied  Mol- 
lie, a.i  the  tears  started  in  her  eyes. 

""  The  girls  don't  think  so,"  interposed  Prince. 
"You  were  chosen  leader  of  the  Dorcas  Club." 

"  The  girls  are  very  kind.  They  have  treated 
me  ever  so  much  better  than  I  deserve." 

"  I  am  sure  they  have  not,"  protested  Prince, 
earnestly.  "  They  hope  you  Avill  be  in  the  boat 
some  time  this  week,  and  learn  your  part  as 
leader." 

^  O,  no  ;  I  cannot  do    that." 

"Why  not?" 

"My  poor  father!"  sobbed   Mollie. 

"  She  don't  feel  hke  doing  anything,"  added 
Mrs.  Longimore,  wiping  away  her  own  tears. 

"  While  we  are  living  on  charity,  1  cannot 
think  of  joining  any  boat  club,"  said  Mollie. 
"  I  can't  help  thinking  of  poor  father  every 
hour,  and  almost  every  minute  of  the  day.  If 
he  had  died  at  home  —  " 


2G2  THE   DOP.GAS    CLUB. 

"  Perhaps  lie  h  not  dead,"  suggested  Prince, 
who  liardly  dared  to  tell  his  good  news  at  once. 
"  Indeed,  I  believe  he  is  not  dead." 

"  If  he  is  not  dead,  I  am  afraid  he  is  worse 
than  dead,"  added  the  j)oor  wife.  "I  would 
rather  he  Avere  buried  in  the  deep  waters  of  the 
bay,  than  feel  all  my  life  that  he  is  a  felon." 

"  You  look  on  the  dark  side  of  the  case,  Mrs. 
Longimore.  Perhaps  he  is  neither  dead  nor  a 
felon." 

"  If  he  is  alive  I  am  afraid  he  took  the  bonds." 

"  Perhaps  not." 

"  I  will  not  believe  poor  father  is  guilty  of  a 
crime,"  added  Mollie,  so  grieved  that  Prince 
dared  not  say  what  he  had  to  say. 

"  Let  us  not  talk  about  it.  It  is  a  terrible  mys- 
tery which  we  cannot  fathom,"  interposed  the 
wife. 

"But  I  am  almost  sure  we  shall  learn  some- 
thing about  the  matter  before  long,"  continued 
Prince,  a  little  more  decidedly,  as  he  gradually 
felt  his  way  to  the  great  revelation  he  had  to 
make. 

"  What  do  you  mean.  Prince  ? "  demanded 
Mrs.  Lonfrimore. 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  263 

Mollie  wiped  away  her  tears,  and  gazed  stead- 
fastly at  the  young  man. 

"  Of  course  I  can't  tell,"  added  Prince. 

'■'■  Have  thi3  bank  people  obtained  any  news, 
or  any  clew  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Prince,  emphatically.  "I  would 
not  have  any  of  them  know  what  I  have  said 
for  all  the  world." 

"What  have  you  said?" 

"I  only  said  I  was  almost  sure  we  should 
hear  something  from  Mr.  Longimore  before 
long." 

"  Why  don't  you  explain  what  you  mean  ?  " 
demanded  Mrs.  Longimore  with  intense  emotion. 

"  If  you  know  that  he  is  dead.  Prince,  do  not 
conceal  it  from  us.  We  can  bear  anything 
now,"  added  Mollie. 

'•I  don't  believe  he  is  dead,  and  I  have  reason 
to  think  he  is  innocent  of  anything  wrong." 

"  Tell  us  what  you  know,  Prince.  You  don't 
know  what  agony  you  are  causing  me,"  pleaded 
the  stricken  wife.  "  You  have  something  to  tell 
us — I  know  you  have." 

"  I  have  ;  but  before  I  say  a  single  word,  I 
must  caution  you  not  to  repeat  one  word  I  say, 
or  even  hint  at  it." 


264  THE   DOECAS   CLUB. 

"  Then  there  is   something  wrong." 

"  I  tliink  not ;  at  least,  I  hope  not." 

"  You  hope  not  ?  " 

"I  believe  not ;  but  I  don't  know  much  about 
it.  You  must  keep  still,  at  least  for  a  day  or 
two,  or  until  you  or  I  know  more  about  it." 

"  Certainly  we  can  do  nothing  to  injure  poor 
father,  if  he  is  still  living,"  said  Mollie,  wrought 
up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  anxiety. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  is  still  alive,"  added   Prince. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  gasped  the  wife. 

"  O,  Prince  !  "  groaned  Mollie. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  ought  to  tell  even  you 
■where  he  is  ;  but  I  shall  see  him  to-night," 
replied  Prince  in  a  whisper,  as  he  glanced  at 
the  windows.  . 

"  Can  it  be  true  ?  " 

"You  may  depend  upon  it,"  added  the  mes- 
senger of  Simon  Potter,  as  he  took  from  his 
wallet  the  dirty  slip  of  paper.  "  Be  calm,  now  ; 
for  if  we  make  the  slightest  mistake,  Mr.  Longi- 
more may  not  long  be  alive." 

With  a  struggle  the  mother  and  daughter, 
awed  by  these  fearfid  words,  regained  in  some 
degree  their  self-possession. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  265 

"  We  must  all  be  very  prudent,"  continued 
Prince.  "  Are  you  calm  enough  to  read  a  line 
from  him  ?  " 

"  O,  yes  !     Give  it  to  me  !  " 

The  brief  note  was  given  to  Mrs.  Longimore, 
and  panting  with  emotion,  she  read  it  to  her- 
self. 

"What  is  it,  mother?  Read  it  I"  cried 
MoUie. 

Mrs.  Longimore,  with  faltering  utterance,  read 
the  note,   as  follows : — 

"My  dear  Wife  and  Children:  I  am 
still  alive,  but  I  am  suffering-  what  no  words  can 
tell.  I  am  guilty  of  no  crime,  though  every- 
thing is  against  me.  Help  me,  by  your  silence, 
to  prove  my  innocence.  I  could  not  live  another 
day  without  telling-  you  I  am  not  a  felon.  Send 
Prince  to  me,  for  he  may  be  able  to  save  me. 

R.  L." 

The  mother  and  daughter  wept  together ;  and 
for  some  time  Prince  respected  their  silence, 
hardly  able  to  restrain  his  own  tears. 

"  You  are  satisfied  now  —  are  you  ?  "  he  asked, 
at  last. 

"  I  am.  Prince  ;  it  seems  like  a  dream," 
replied  the  poor  wife. 


266  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  That's  father's  writing-,  certainly,"  added 
Mollie,  as  she  took  the  sHp  of  paper  from  her 
mother. 

"All  that  I  have  said  is  true  to  the  letter," 
said  Prince. 

"  But  where  is  he  ?  " 

"  He  is  not  three  miles  from  here." 

"  And  you  are  to  see  him  to-night  ?  " 

"I  am." 

"  Can't  I  see  him  ?     May  I  not  go  with  you?*' 

"  I  must  do  just  as  I  was  told  to  do.  I  must 
go  alone.  But  you  shall  hear  from  him  again 
in  the  morning.  I  will  not  sleep  till  I  tell  you 
all  I  know,"  replied  the  young  man,  glancing 
at  the  clock. 

"  If  he  is  innocent,  why  did  he  go  away  ?  " 
asked  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  cannot  explain  it.  Perhaps 
he  lost  the  bonds  ;  perhaps  some  one  stole  them. 
Probably  he  went  off  on  account  of  the  loss  of 
the  bonds ;  but  he  says  he  is  innocent,  and  wo 
must  take  his  word  for  it  till  we  know  to  the 
contrary.  He  may  have  made  some  mistake, 
without  meaning  to  do  Avrong,  and  was  afraid 
to  meet  the  directors  of  the  bank." 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  2G7 

"If  lie  is  not  guilty  of  a  crime,  I  don't  care 
for  anything  else,"  added  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  I  am  going  now.  If  I  get  back  before  day- 
light, shall  I  come    here?" 

"  Yes.  Ring  the  bell ;  I  shall  hear  it,"  replied 
the  poor  lady. 

Prince  went  home. 


268  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

IN   THE    GLOOM    OF   THE    NIGHT. 

POSSIBLY  Prince  Willingood's  standard  in 
regard  to  deception  was  not  so  high  as 
that  of  Simon  Potter,  and  he  made  a  distinction 
between  telling  all  he  knew  and  wilfully  deceiv- 
ing any  one.  He  did  not  tell  Fox  Bushwell 
what  he  had  done  that  day,  nor  what  he  in- 
tended to  do  that  night ;  and  the  old  man  had  no 
suspicion  that  any  unusual  events  were  in  -pro- 
gress. If  Fox  Bushwell  got  his  eye  on  a  dollar 
which  might  possibly  be  raked  into  his  coffers, 
he  paid  but  little  heed  to  anything  else.  He 
kept  his  gaze  fixed  on  that  dollar  until  it  Avas 
hidden  in  his  own  pocket.  Since  the  fire  he  had 
been  very  busy  putting  his  new  house  in  order, 
and  looking  after  the  insurance  upon  the  one 
which  was  destroyed.  The  company  was  not 
ready    to    pay    him.      The    officers  asked  him  a 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB  2(30 

great  many  questions  in  regard  to  the  origin  of 
the  fire.  They  had  inquired  of  Mrs.  Pining  and 
Prince  in  regard  to  this  matter.  Then  they 
wanted  to  knoAv  something  more  in  regard  to 
the  value  of  the  property  destroyed.  Fox  r)usl!- 
well  had  never  insured  any  houses  or  furniture 
before,  and  he  had  taken  out  tliis  policy  only  a 
month  before  the   fire. 

The  insurance  company  did  not  say  that  any- 
thing was  wrong,  or  even  that  they  suspected 
anything  was  wrong.  They  only  delayed  pay- 
ment, and  asked  questions  —  not  very  awkward 
questions,  but  such  as  cau:;ed  Fox  Bushwell  to 
wonder  what  they  were  driving  at.  If  they  sus- 
pected any  irregularity,  why  didn't  they  say  so, 
and  give  liiiu  the  opportunity  to  defend  himself, 
and  to  shoAV  conclusively  that  the  origin  of  the 
fire  was  a  dense  mystery,  which  no  human  be- 
ing could  find  out  ? 

He  had  gone  to  bed  as  usual  that  night,  but 
rather  later  than  his  ordinary  time —  at  half  past 
ten,  —  had  gone  to  sleep,  and  had  been  called 
by  Prince.  That  was  all  he  knew  about  it. 
Neither  Mrs.  Pining  nor  Prince  contradicted  his 
statement  in  any  important  particular. 


270  THE    DOllCAS    CLUB. 

Fox  Biisliwell  was  interested  in  this  business 
matter,  and  he  gave  but  little  attention  to  any- 
thing else  for  the  time  being.  In  fact,  it  troubled 
him,  though  he  did  not  say  so.  He  had  not 
slept  well  nights  since  the  inquiry  began  ;  and 
when  his  ward  came  into  the  house,  after  his 
visit  to  the  house  of  the  Longimores,  the  old 
man  was  considerably  exhausted;  in  fact,  ready 
to  sleep.  At  nine  o'clock,  Mrs.  Pining  retired  ; 
she  always  went  to  bed  at  that  hour,  whether 
she  was  sleepy  or  not.  Fox  Bushwell  bolted  the 
front  door,  and  retreated  to  his  room  a  few 
moments  later. 

Prince  was  wide  awake,  and,  as  may  well  be 
supposed,  he  was  intensely  excited  in  view  of 
the  night's  work  before  him.  He  waited  till  he 
was  satisfied  that  his  uncle  was  asleep,  or  till 
he  ought  to  have  been  asleep^  and  then  went 
into  the  back-room.  He  did  not  like  to  go  out, 
to  be  absent  so  long,  leaving  a  door  unfastened 
behind  him,  for  he  knew  not  what  treasures 
the  money-lender  might  have  in  the  house. 
After  looking  over  the  ground,  he  decided  to 
get  out  at  one  of  the  windows,  which  was  so 
high  that  no  one  could  easily  get  in  at   it    from 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  271 

the  outside,  if  he  left  it  unfastened,  though  he 
knew  how  to  get  in  himself,  if  he  should  happen 
to  return  in  season  to  do  so.  He  got  out  the 
window,  and  "hung  off,"  dropping  upon  the 
grass  beneath.  The  sash  came  down  with  a 
slam  as  he  dropped,  but  it  was  so  far  from  the 
sleepers  in  the  house  that  they  were  not  likely 
to  hear  it. 

Walking  on  the  grass,  and  stepping  very  care- 
fully, he  gained  the  street.  The  night  was 
cloudy  and  dark,  thus  favoring  his  expedition. 
He  hastened  to  the  boat-shop  of  Don  John, 
where  he  could  obtain  a  small  boat,  which  the 
owner  allowed  him  to  use  whenever  he  wished. 
On  the  Avay  he  could  not  help  thinking  what 
he  should  say  to  his  uncle  in  case  his  absence 
was  discovered  ;  but  he  did  not  worry  himself 
in  regard  to  such  a  contingency,  for  his  uncle 
seldom  questioned  him  as  to  where  he  had  been, 
or  what  he  had  been  doing.  In  the  vicinity  of 
the  shop  all  was  as  still  as  a  tomb.  There  Avas 
no  light  in  Mrs.  Ramsey's  cottage ;  and  the  boat- 
builder,  who  was  an  early  riser,  was  doubtless 
fast  asleep,  though  it  was  only  half  past  nine 
o'clock.     Prince  found  the  oars  under  the   shop, 


272  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

and  silently   embarked    on    his    gloomy    voyage. 

Though  not  a  member  of  the  Yacht  Clul),  he 
was  thoroughly  experienced  in  the  handling  of 
boats,  and  kne\v  the  bay  and  harbor  quite  as 
well  as  the  average  of  the  boys  of  the  city.  On 
the  high  ground  of  the  city  were  two  spires 
whose  outline  could  be  seen  on  the  sky,  dark  as 
the  night  was  ;  and  Prince  knew  that  these  two 
steeples,  kept  in  range  from  the  boat-shop,  made 
a  course  that  would  carry  the  navigator  clear  of 
the  trend  of  the  coast  projecting  out  into  the 
bay  north  of  the  mouth  of  Little  River. 

Pulling  out  from  the  pier,  he  "brought  the, 
two  spires  into  one,"  as  nautical  men  express  it. 
He  was  sorry  no  sail-boat  was  available,  for  a 
three-mile  pull  is  not  particularly  pleasant,  all 
alone  in  a  dark  night,  even  when  one  knows 
the  course,  and  feel;^  quite  at  home  in  the  boat- 
But  Prince  kept  thinking  and  kept  rowing  for 
an  hour.  He  passed  the  headland,  and  then. 
followed  the  shore  towards  the  river.  It  could 
not  have  been  ten  minutes  either  way  from  the 
time  he  had  appointed  to  be  at  the  meeting- 
place,  when  he  lay  upon  his  oars,  to  listen  for 
any  sound  whi(;h  might  indicate  the  presence  of 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  273 

Simon    Potter,  who,    if    there,    could    not    have 
failed  to  hear  the  stroke  of  his  oars. 

"  Hoo,  hoo,  hoo !  "  were  the  first  sounds 
which  saluted  the  waiting  ears  of    the  boatman. 

It  might  be  Simon  Potter,  or  it  might  be  a 
cat-owl. 

"Hoo,  hoo,  hoo!"  replied  Prince;  and  Simon 
Potter  might  have  thought  it  was  the  voice  of 
his  expected  visitor  or  a  cat-owl. 

"  Prince ! "  said  a  voice  on  the  shore. 

"  Simon  Potter !  "  replied  the  young  man ; 
and,  resuming  his  oars,  he  soon  beached  his 
boat. 

"You  are  on  time,"  said  the  recluse  of  the 
Northport  woods,  as  the  visitor  leaped  upon  the 
land. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  everything  worked  well  for  me. 
My  uncle  went  to  bed  earlier  than  he  does 
sometimes,  so  that  the  coast  was  clear." 

"  Mr.  Longimore  is  waiting  for  you  in  an 
agon}^  of  doubt.  He  feels  that  he  has  staked 
everything  upon  your  judgment  and  fidelity," 
added  Simon  Potter. 

"  He  has  made  no  mistake.     I  only  hope  he  will 
be  able  to  show  that  he  is  innocent  of  any  crime," 
18 


274  THE   DOECAS   CLUB. 

replied  Prince,  as  he  fastened  the  painter  of  the 
boat  to  a  tree. 

"  That  is  all  that  troubles  him.  The  fact  is, 
he  can't  prove  anything.  But  follow  me.  and 
you  shall  see  him  very  soon." 

Simon  Potter  led  the  way  through  the  woods, 
and  in  a  few  moments  he  arrived  at  his  little 
cottage,  which  Avould  have  no  more  than  satis- 
fied the  ambition  of  a  thrifty  day-laborer.  Con- 
nected with  it  was  a  small  barn,  in  which  he 
kept  his  cow  and  pig.  There  was  no  light  in 
the  liouse  ;  and  Prince  groped  his  way  after  his 
conductor,  who  led  him  to  a  chair. 

'■'■  Sit  down,  Prince.  We  have  no  lights  here, 
under  the  present  circumstances.  I  will  call 
him ;  and  then  I  shall  sfay  outside,  to  guard 
against  any  possible  surprise." 

"But  where  is  Mr.  " 

"Don't  speak  his  name,"  interposed  Simon 
Potter.  "Prudence  costs  nothing,  and  a  miser 
can  afford  to  be  careful.  You  need  not  know 
where  he  is  concealed,  for  the  sheriff  might 
come  here  a  dozen  times  without  suspecting  his 
hiding-place." 

The  strange  man  left    the    room  ;  and    Prince 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  275 

thought,  from  the  sound  of  his  footsteps,  that 
he  went  in  the  direction  of  the  barn.  It  was 
some  time  before  the  silence  was  again  disturbed. 

"Prince!"  said  a  voice,  trembhng  with  fear 
or  emotion. 

"  Here,"  rephed  the  young  man,  rising  from 
his  chair ;  and  the  next  moment  his  liand  was 
grasped  by  one  that  seemed  very  cold  and  bony 
to  him. 

"I  am  not  a  felon,"  gasped  the  casliier,  for 
of  course  it  was  he,  though  liis  name  was  not 
to  be  s])oken,  even  in  the  solitude  of  the  woods. 
"  Will  you  believe  me  ?  " 

The  hand  trembled,  and  the  quiver  of  it 
seemed  to  be  conveyed  through  the  frame  of  the 
visitor.  * 

"  I  am  willing  to  believe  it,"  replied  Prince. 

"But  how  are  they  —  my  wife  and  children?" 
whispered  Mr.  Longimore. 

"They  are  well;  but  they  have  suffered  moio 
than  I  can  tell." 

"  So  have  I,  more  than  any  one  can  tell.  I 
have  seen  the  newspaper,  and  I  know  that  seme 
people  think  that  i  committed  suicide.  I  was 
tempted  to  do  that.     I  intended  to  end    the  hfe 


276  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

whicli  was  overshadowed  and  In'oken  down  by 
a  calamity  for  which  I  am  not  resposible.  Simon 
Potter  saved  me.  He  bade  me  live,  at  least 
till  I  could  learn  whether  my  life  was  worth 
saving-,"'  groaned  Mr.  Longimore,  as  he  led 
Priiuc  to  the  only  window  of  the  room,  at 
whicli  they  seated  themselves. 

Accustomed  now  to  the  dixrkness,  the  yoang 
tnan  could  see  a  dim  outline  of  the  cashier's 
face.  It  was  so  white  and  so  thin  that  the 
visitor  coidd  easily  have  persuaded  himself,  if 
lie  had  l»ccn  superstitious,  that  he  was  in  com- 
munion ^^•itll  one  from  another  world.  Mr. 
Longimore  took  his  hand  again,  as  though  the 
warmth  of  the  young  blood  carried  heat  to  his 
cold  heart  and  his  cold   frame. 

"Where  is  the  boat  in  which  you  left  the 
city  ? "  asked  Prince,  intent  upon  solving  some 
of  the  dark  questions  in  the  case  which  had 
perplexed  the  gossips  as  well  as  the  officers  of 
police. 

"I  don't  know.  Prince.  Simon  Potter  took 
care  of  it,  and  I  know  not  whether  he  has 
hidden,  burned,  or  sunk  it.  I  had  something 
else  to  think  of,  and    I  did    not  care.     He    will 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  277 

tell  you.  I  came  here  early  on  that  Tuesday 
morning,  a  week  ago,  before  even  the  sailors  on 
the  vessels  in  the  harbor  were  stirring,  for  I 
kept  close  to  the  shore,  where  none  could  see 
me.  But  I  was  seeking  only  a  grave.  I  desired 
only  to  send  a  message  to  my  wife,  that  she  and 
my  children  might  not  carry  it  rankling  in 
their  hearts,  that  I  had  died  guilty  of  a  crime. 
Simon  Potter  loved  me,  and  has  saved  me  so 
far." 

"  But  if  you  had  done  nothing  wrong,  why 
did  you  leave  the  city?"  asked  Prince. 

"  Perhaps  I  was  a  coward.  Now  I  believe  that 
I  Avas,"  sobbed  the  poor  man.  ••'  The  bonds 
were  gone,  and  I  was  not  brave  enough  to  tell 
the  directors  that  they  were  all  destroyed." 

"Destroyed?" 

"  Yes,  destroyed  ;  burned  to  ashes,"  groaned 
the  cashier ;  and  his  companion  could  feel  the 
tremor  of  his  frame,  as  he  clasped  the  hand  he 
held  more  closely. 

"  How  could  they  be  burned  ?  "  asked  Prince 
intensely  excited. 

"They  were  burned  with  your  uncle's  house." 

"  I  don't  understand  it." 


278  THE   DOHCAS    CLUB. 

"  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  story.  Tt  was  for 
that  I  wished  to  see  you,"  answered  the  cashier. 
"  Do  you  know  why  I  wished  to  see  you  rather 
than  an}^  one  else  ?  " 

"  I  hope  it  was  because  you  thought  you  could 
trust  me." 

"  It  was  for  that,  certainly  ;  but  for  another 
reason,  also." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Because  you  live  in  the  house  of  Fox  Bush- 
well.  He  is  your  uncle,  I  know ;  but  he  is  a 
hard  man." 

"  I  ought  to  know  that  as  well  as  the  next 
person,"  added  Prince,  heartily. 

"  But  I  am  afraid  he  is  not  an  honest  man. 
God  forgive  me,  if  I  wrong  him !  I  would  not 
speak  ill  of  any  one." 

"  I  don't  think  you  are  very  far  from  the 
truth." 

"  Do  you  think  he  could  be  guilty  of  any 
great  crime  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  about  that  ;  I  shouldn't  want 
to  say.  I'm  afraid  he  would  do  almost  anything 
for  money.  He  loves  it  more  than  he  loves  his 
own  soul,  in  spite  of  his  preaching." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  279 

"I  will  tell  you  the  Avliole  story,  Prince,  and 
I  hope  3-0U  will  be  able  to  help  me.  My  only 
reliance  is  upon  you." 

The  cashier  related  all  the  incidents  whicli 
liad  occurred  upon  that  eventful  Monday  nigld, 
as  they  were  detailed  in  a  preceding    chapter. 

*'My  uncle  took  the  wrong  bundle  of  papers 
when  he  left  the  bank,"  said  Prince,  musing. 
'•  They  were  burned  in  the  fire.  But  wouldn't 
the  government  replace  the  bonds,  if  it  can  be 
proved  that  they  were  burned  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  it  would,  if  it  could  be  proved 
beyond  a  doubt.  I  want  to  know  if  it  can  be 
proved." 

"Certainly  it  can.     Uncle  Fox  will  help  you." 

"Will  he?  Do  you  know  that  he  will?" 
asked    Mr.  Longimore,  eagerly. 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  can  do  anything  else," 
added  Prince. 

"  Has  he  told  any  one  that  the  bonds  were 
destroyed?  " 

"  I  don't  knov/  that  he  has,"  answered  the 
young  man,  ]3erplexed  by  the  situation. 

If  Fox  Bush  well  knew  that  the  bonds  were 
destroyed,  why  had  he  not  told  the  directors  the 


280  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

truth  ?  Assuredly  he  did  know  it,  for  he  and 
the  cashier  had  searched  for  the  papers  after  the 
fire,  finding  nothing  but  the  empty  brass  kettle. 

"  Prince,  I  have  had  seven  daj^s  to  think  of 
this  terrible  matter.  I  have  blamed  myself  for 
not  telling  the  whole  truth  that  morning,  instead 
of  running  away  like  a  felon ;  but,  after  all,  I 
think  I  have  been  wise,  as  men  of  the  world 
are  wise.  I  have  consulted  expediency  rather 
than  absolute  justice.  I  have  trusted  to  myself, 
rather  than  the  simple  truth,  for  safety.  If  I 
had  staid  in  the  city,  I  should  have  been  arrested 
before  dinner  time.  I  should  have  been  await- 
ing my  trial  at  this  moment  in  a  prison." 

"  I  suppose  you  did  what  you  thought  Avas 
best,"  added  Prince. 

*'I  was  crazy  with  excitement  when  I  found 
the  bonds  were  gone  ;  when  I  realized  that  they 
had  been  burned  in  the  flames  of  your  uncle's 
house,  I  could  not  think  ;  I  was  beside  myself. 
I  demanded  the  bonds  of  Fox  Bushwell  in  the 
morning  but  he  could  only  tell  me  they  were 
burned ;  and  I  believed  him    then." 

"  Don't  you  believe  him  now  ?  "  asked  Prince. 

^'  (rod  forgive  me  if  I   wrong    him !       I    don't 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  281 

knoAV  whether  or  not  they  are  destroyed.  They 
may  be.  Doiil)tlcss  they  are.  I  know  not. 
Will  Fox  Bushwell  say  they  are  burned?  Will 
he  tell  the  Avholc    truth?" 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"Why  has  ho  not  told  it?" 

"  I  don't  knoAV  ;  I  don't  understand  it,"  said 
the  bewildered  young  man. 

''As  I  read  it  in  the  newspaper,  Fox  Bush- 
well  said  I  was  rather  wild  in  my  manner;  that 
I  gave  him  the  bundle  of  papers  he  had  left 
at  the  bank,  only  saying  I  thought  he  mi;__;ht 
want  them.  The  —  Your  uncle  says  this  was 
all  that  passed  between  us,"  continued  Mr.  Lon- 
gimore,  gasping  with  emotion. 

"Well,  wasn't  it  all?" 

"  All  ?  No.  I  demanded  the  bonds  of  him  ; 
I  was  wild  ;  I  thrust  my  fist  through  the  glass 
to  gain  admission  to  the  house.  I  was  crazy 
with  the  agony  of  the  discovery  that  the  bonds 
Avere  not  in  the  bank  vault.  I  demanded  them 
as  I  would  one  of  my  children  if  he  had  kid- 
napped it.  I  shook  my  clinched  fist  in  his  face ; 
I  grasped  him  by  the  throat ;  I  told  him  I  was 
ruined,  that  my  wife  and  children  were   ruined. 


282  TCE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

He  told  me,  trembling  like  an  aspen  beneath 
m}^  grasp,  that  the  bonds  were  burned.  Not  one 
word  does  he  say  of  all  this  when  Mr.  Doanc 
and  the  directors  asked  him  about  the  inter- 
view ;  only,  that  I  gave  him  the  papers,  saying 
that  he  might  want  them,  and  then  fled  in  an 
instant.  If  there  had  been  a  house  very  near, 
its  inmates  might  have  heard  all  I  said.  I  was 
furious,  for  it  was  a  matter  of  life  or  death  to 
mc  ;  of  what  is  better  than  life,  or  worse  than 
death.  Not  one  word  did  he  say  of  what  he 
knev/  to  be  the  truth." 

"  Perhaps  he  was  afraid  to  say  anything  for 
fear  he  might  get  into  trouble  himself,"  sug- 
gested Prince.     "  He  is  a  timid  man." 

"Perhaps  fear  sealed  his  lips — I  don't  know. 
I  would  not  wrong  him.  I  have  thought  it  all 
over  a  thousand  times  in  my  solitude.  Night 
and  day  I  have  considered  it.  Through  you. 
Prince,  I  must  seek  the  truth.  You  are  a  good, 
brave  boy;  and  you  will  help  me?" 

"  I  will,  .with  all  the  powers  I  have." 

"  Thank  you.  Prince.  It  is  terrible  to  think 
of  beinsf  branded  as  a  felon,  as  I  am.  It  is  ter- 
rible    to    think    of    a  cell  in  a  prison;  but  it  is 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  283 

worse  to  tliiiik  of  my  good  name  blighted,  and 
my  poor  family  weeping  over  my  living  tomb!" 

The  cashier  sobbed  in  bitterness  of  spirit,  and 
Prince  sought  to  change  the  current  of  his 
thought. 

"  Very  likely  my  uncle  was  afraid  to  tell  the 
whole  truth,"  said  he. 

"  When  was  he  questioned  in  regard  to  this 
interview  ?" 

"Not  till  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  you 
left." 

"  Then  he  believed  I  could  not  come  from  my 
watery  grave  in  the  bay  to  confront  him," 
added  the  cashier,  who  seemed  to  be  filled  with 
grave  suspicions,  though  he  failed  to  give  full 
expression  to  them. 

"•  I  will  do  anything  and  everything  you  wish, 
if  you  will  only  tell  me  what  I  am  to  do.  I'm 
not  afraid  of  anybody  or  anything." 

"For  this  business  you  need  more  of  discre- 
tion than  courage.  Through  you  I  desire  to 
approach  Fox  Bushwell.  You  know  him  as  well 
as  I  do.  I  want  you  to  sound  him,  so  as  to 
ascertain  whether  he  will  deny  the  truth  in 
regard  to  the  destruction  of  the  bonds.     In  one 


284  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

word,  Prince,  I  mean  to  do  now  what  I  ought 
to  have  done  on  the  day  I  left  the  city,  when, 
maddened  with  the  fear  of  dishonor,  I  fled  hke 
a  thief.  I  don't  blame  my  friends  for  thinking 
I  was  a  thief.  I  acted  like  one  ;  but  I  wept 
over  my  own  conduct  before  the  sun  went  down 
that  day."' 

"I  am  to  sound  liim,"  mused  Prince. 

"  Do  it  in  your  own  way;  only  be  alone  when 
you  talk  with  him,"  added  Mr.  Longimore. 

"Shall  I  tell  you  how  I  would  sound    him?" 

"Yes,  tell  me." 

"  I  would  hurl  the  truth  into  his  teeth,  fairly 
and  squarely,  without  giving  him  a  single  second 
to  invent  an  explanation.  He  lied  to  Mr.  Doane, 
and  he  lied  to  all  the  directors." 

"  He  certainly  did ;  but  he  is  your  uncle, 
Prince,  and  —  " 

"  He  is  none  the  better  for  that.  He  has 
starved  me  and  cheated  me  out  of  nearly  all  the 
comforts  of  life.  I  wish  liim  no  harm  ;  but  he 
shall  tell  the  truth.  He  shall  go  before  the 
directors  of  the  bank,  and  inform  them  in  what 
manner  the  bonds  were  destroyed,"  added  the 
young  man,  vehemently. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  285 

"  You  are  young  and  full  of  enthusiasm, 
Prince.  I  am  afraid  he  will  not  do  what  you 
expect  of  him.  I  am  afraid  he  will  deny  every- 
thing,  even  if  I  should  confront  him  again." 

"  He  cannot." 

"  Perhaps  he  will  not.  If  he  does  not,  you 
may  tell  the  directors  where  I  am ;  or,  better, 
come  and  let  me  know,  and  I  will  go  to  them." 

"Suppose  my  uncle  refuses  to  speak  the  truth, 
what  then?"  asked  Prince. 

"  Nothing,  then,"  said  Mr.  Longimore,  with  a 
shudder. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  " 

"  There  will  then  be  no  hope  for  me.  Can 
I  stand  before  the  directors  and  tell  them  that 
the  bonds  were  destroyed,  when  Fox  Bush  well 
denies  it?  The  government  would  not  then 
replace  them ;  and,  under  such  circumstances, 
the  bank  ofi&cers  would  be  more  inclined  to 
believe  your  uncle  than  to  believe  me." 

"What  will  you  do  then?" 

"  Die  then,  as  I  would  have  done  before,  if 
Simon  Potter  had  not  saved  me  ! "  exclaimed 
Mr.  Longimore,  bursting  into  tears,  and  sobbing 
like  a  child. 


283  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

"  Not  SO  bad  as  that,"  added  the  pitying 
Prince. 

"  Say  no  more,  my  friend,  about  that.  Are 
my  family  suffering?" 

"  O,  no  ;  tliey  have  everything  in  plenty.  The 
Dorcas  Society  gave  your  wife  two  hundred  dol- 
lars, which  they  had  collected  to  buy  a  boat  ; 
or,  rather,  lent  it  to  them,  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  any  one  but  the  association.  They  shall 
Vv^ant  for  nothing." 

"  Give  my  wife  this  letter,  which  I  have 
written  to-day.  It  is  not  signed  ;  but  she  will 
know  the  writing.     Don't  lose  it." 

"  I  Avill  not." 

"Now,  you  will  talk  with  your  uncle  to- 
morrow, or  as  soon  as  you  can.  You  must  wait 
your  time,  and  do  not  be  rash." 

"I  shall  do  the  business  as  I  told  you,  and 
v/hen  it  is  done  you  shall  hear  from  me.  I  will 
come  to  you  at  night ;  but  I  may  not  be  able 
to  settle  the  matter  for  several  days." 

"I  can  wait  a  week,  now  that  my  wife  and 
J.Iollie  know  that  I  am  alive,  and  not  a  felon," 
said  the  cashier,  sadly.  "  I  suppose  your  uncle 
v/ill  take  the  furniture ;  or  did  my  brother  pay 
the  note?" 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  287 

"  He  did  not.  He  has  failed  in  business,  and 
can  do  nothing.  But  my  uncle  shall  not  take 
the  furniture,  if  I  can  help  it." 

"  Bless  you,  my  brave  boy  !  ''  added  the  fugi- 
tive, pressing  the  warm  hand  he  still  held. 
"  Go,  now ;  but  let  me  see  you  again  as  soon 
as  you  have  good  news  for  me.  If  you  have  it 
not,  do  not  come.  I  shall  understand  your 
absence." 

Prince  left  the  house,  and  was  immediately 
joined  by  Simon  Potter,  who  conducted  him  to 
his  boat,  and  bade  him  adieu  as  he  pulled  away 
towards  the  city.  When  he  landed  at  the  boat- 
shop,  he  heard  the  clock  strike  one.  Half  an 
hour  later  he  rang  the  door-bell  at  the  home  of 
the  cashier,  and  Avas  admitted  without  delay  to 
the  dining-room,  for  both  mother  and  daughter 
were  too  anxious  to  allow  them  to  sleep,  and 
had  not  yet  retired. 


233  THE   DORCAS  CLUB. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE    HOLE   IN   THE   CHIMNEY. 

PRINCE  soon  told  the  story  of  his  interview 
with  the  cashier,  and.  fully  explained  in 
what  manner  the  Iwnds  had  been  destroyed. 

'*  Wasn't  it  very  stran^jc  that  your  uncle  should 
make  such  a  mistake?"  asked  Mrs.  Longimore, 
when  the  young  man  had  related  the  substance 
of  the  interview  with  her  husband. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  did  not  think  it  was  very 
strange,"  replied  Prince.  "  He  had  done  up 
both  packages  himself,  in  the  same  paper  and 
with  the  same  tape,  so  that  they  looked  exactly 
alike." 

"  But  how  singular  it  was  that,  after  your 
uncle  had  taken  the  wrong  package,  his  house 
should  l3e  burned  on  that  particular  night." 

Prince  had  not  had  his  att^ntioii  directed  in 
this  way  before;  and  he  was  forced  to  confess 
that  it  was  rather  singular. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  280 

"Couldn't  Mr.  Bushwell  see  that  he  had  tlie 
wrong  bundle  before  he  put  it  into  the  bras:? 
kettle  ?  "  persisted  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  It  was  down  cellar,  and  in  the  evening.  I 
suppose  it  did  not  occur  to  hiai  that  there  wa:j 
any  possibility  of  its  being  the  wrong  one," 
replied  Prince.  "But  I  don't  blame  him  for 
any  mistake  he  made.  I  Avant  to  give  him  fair 
play;  for,  whatever  mistake  he  made,  Mr.  Lon- 
gimore must  have  made  the  same  one  when  he 
put  the  wrong  package  into  his  tin  box,  and 
returned  it  to  the  vault." 

"  But  I  can't  help  thinking  how  very  strange 
it  was  that  your  uncle's  house  was  burned  on 
that  particular  night,  and  after  the  mistake." 

"  I  admit  all  you  say  ;  but  if  the  mistake  had 
been  discovered  before  the  fire,  it  would  not 
have  been  thought  so  very  odd,"  answered 
Prince,  who  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  fairness, 
and  was  unwilling  that  his  uncle  should  be  con- 
victed of  anything  of  which  he  was   not   guilty. 

"  Mr.  Bushwell,  I  think,  regarded  the  blunder 

and    the   event  which  followed  as  rather  out  of 

the  common  course,  or  lie  would  not   have    told 

such  an  abominable  lie   about   his    last    meeting 

10 


290  THE   DORCAS    CLUC. 

with  my  husband.  Not  a  word  about  the  burned 
bonds." 

"  Uncle  Fox  is  a  timid  man ;  and  I  have  no 
doubt  he  Avas  afraid  to  tell  the  truth.  But  if 
he  will  tell  the  truth  now,  all  may  yet  be  well." 

"  This  business  must  be  very  unpleasant  to 
you,  Prince.  You  have  been  very  kind  to  us, 
and  I  am  sorry  it  falls  into  your  hands,"'  added 
Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  Of  course  I  don't  want  to  quarrel  with  my 
uncle;  but  I  am  willing  to  do  even  that  for  the 
sake  of  justice.  I  feel  that  Mr.  Longimore  is 
entirely  innocent ;  and  it  would  be  a  crime  for 
me  to  do  nothing.  But  now  you  must  wait,  for 
I  may  not  have  a  chance  to  speak  to  my  uncle 
for  several  days.  Mrs.  Pining  is  almost  always 
in  the  house,  since  her  best  gown  was  burned ; 
and  I  can't  let  her  know  anything  about  the 
matter." 

"  We  can  wait,  now  that  we  know  father  has 
done  nothing  wrong,"  said  Mollie.  "I'm  sure, 
I  feel  happy  again." 

"  So  do  I,"  added  her  mother.  "  Of  course 
you  must  take  your  own  time.  Prince." 

"  If    what   you  and  I  know    were    discovered, 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  291 

jour  husband  would  be  arrested  and  thrown 
into  prison,  Mrs.  Longimore.  I  am  afraid  that 
un,cle  Fox  would  never  tell  the  truth  under  such 
circumstances.  But  you  may  be  sure  I  will  not 
delay  the  business  a  day  or  an  hour  longer  than 
is  necessary." 

Prince  delivered  the  letter,  and  bade  them  good 
night,  not  thinking  that  the  morning  hours  had 
come,  and  walked  towards  home.  He  could  not 
help  thinking  of  what  the  cashier's  wife  had 
said.  Though  she  did  not  say  so,  in  so  many 
words,  she  evidently  suspected  that  Fox  Bush- 
well  might  be  guilty  of  a  greater  wrong  than 
telling  one  or  a  dozen  falsehoods.  As  she  sug- 
gested, it  was  certainly  very  strange  that  the 
house  had  been  destroyed  by  fire  on  that  very 
night  the  mistake  in  the  bank  had  been  made. 
But  then,  as  the  packages  were  exactly  alike  in 
appearance,  the  blunder  was  not  so  very  unac- 
countable. The  two  bundles  lay  on  the  table  in 
the  directors'  room,  and  Fox  Bushwell  might 
easily  have  picked  up  the  wrong  one.  What- 
ever opinion  Prince  had  of  his  uncle,  it  was  not 
pleasant  to  believe  that  he  could  be  guilty  of 
any  premeditated  crime.      The  young  man  tried 


292  THE   DORCAS   CLFB. 

to  convince  himself  that  his  guardian  was  not  a 
thief:  but  the  strangeness  of  the  circumstances 
troubled  him. 

These  reflections  were  disturbed  by  his  arrival 
at  the  gate  of  his  uncle's  house.  He  entered 
the  yard  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  crept  to 
the  rear  of  the  lot.  Placing  a  flour  barrel,  whicli 
had  been  left  behind  the  house,  under  it,  he 
prepared  to  get  in  at  the  window  by  which  he 
had  made  his  egress  nearly  five  hours  before. 
He  recognized  the  danger  of  an  accident,  which 
might  alarm  his  uncle,  and  perhaps  arouse  the 
whole  neighborhood.  He  had  no  talent  for  lying 
and  deception,  and  he  was  not  even  willing  to 
invent  a  story  to  satisfy  his  uncle,  in  the  emer- 
gency of  being  discovered.  He  was  sure  he 
could  silence  liim  by  alluding  to  the  bonds :  but 
he  was  not  willing  to  do  this  under  such  unfa- 
vorable circumstances.  These  considerations  only 
made  him  the  more  careful  when  he  mounted 
the  flour-barrel  and  raised  the  window.  At  this 
point  he  took  the  precaution  to  remove  his 
shoes. 

Fortunately,  Fox  Bushwell  and  the  house- 
keeper slept  soundly ;  or,  if  they  did   not,  Prince 


THE   DOKCAS    CLFB.  29'J 

made  so  little  noise  that  it  would  have  been  impos- 
sible for  them  to  hear  him.  Closing  the  window- 
behind  him,  he  crept  into  the  kitchen.  The 
difficult  part  of  the  enterprise  was  to  ascend  the 
stairs,  for  the  weight  of  a  person  caused  them 
to  creak.  To  prevent  this.  Prince  kept  close  to 
the  wall,  wliere  the  string-piece  was  nailed  to 
the  studs,  thus  avoiding  the  strain  on  the  weaker 
side.  By  taking  a  long  time  for  the  ascent,  he 
effected  it  in  safety,  and  stealthily  as  a  mouse 
crawled  into  his  chamber,  the  door  of  which  he 
had  left  open.  He  listened,  and  could  hear  the 
snoring  of  the  weary  money-lender.  In  a  few 
moments  he  was  in  bed,  but  not  yet  to  sleep. 
The  events  of  the  night  had  been  too  exciting 
to  permit  him  to  slumber  for  a   time. 

He  thought  over  what  had  occurred  in  the 
Northport  woods  ;  and  then  his  mind  went  back 
to  the  night  of  the  fire,  when  •  the  bonds  had 
been  destroyed.  He  recalled  all  the  events  of 
that  evening.  Naturally  enough  the  startling 
features  of  the  affair  came  first  to  his  mind  — 
the  cry  of  fire  which  had  roused  him  from  his 
deep  sleep.  He  had  waked  his  uncle,  helped 
dress  him,  and    then    luirried    him    out    of    the 


294  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

house.  Certainly,  the  old  man  was  fast  asleep 
when  he  called  him  ;  he  had  no  doubt  of  that. 
A  man  so  timid  as  he  could  not  lie  in  his  bed 
while  the  smoke  and  the  flames  were  creeping  up 
to  him.  But  all  the  events  subsequent  to  the 
breaking  out  of  the  conflagration  were  patent  to 
everybody  in  the  neighborhood.  The  trembling 
and  groaning  of  the  miser  in  the  street  had  been 
seen  and  heard  by  the  neighbors  in  the  light  of 
the  fire.  But  what  had  happened  before  the 
smoke  had  wakened  him  ?  This  was  a  more 
important  inquiry  on  the  part  of  Prince. 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  I  went 
to  bed  about  ten.  I  was  down  stairs  just  before, 
and  uncle  Fox  was  in  the  cellar.  There  was 
nothing  very  odd  about  that,  for  he  cuts  up  the 
kindlings  for  the  fire  every  evening  before  he 
goes  to  bed.  I  went  to  bed  ;  but  the  tea,  which 
had  become  stronger,  or  the  Latin  that  bothered 
me,  kept  me  awake.  Why  didn't  1  think  of 
this  before?  I  heard  the  clock  strike  twelve 
before  uncle  Fox  went  to  his  room,  and  then 
he  came  up  as  still  as  a  mouse.  I  thought  he 
was  more  considerate  than  usual,  for  I  am  sure 
be  came  up  stairs  in  his  stocking  feet.     I  dropped 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  293 

asleep  then  ;  but  the  fire  must  have  broken  out 
in  less  than  half  an  hour,  for  the  whole  concern 
was  burned  down  when  the  clock  struck  one. 
•Uncle  Fox  has  told  everybody  he  went  to  bed 
about  half  past  ten  that  night;  but  I  know  lie 
didn't  go  till  after  twelve.  Why  should  he  lie 
about   it?" 

Prince  could  not  imagine  why  the  old  man, 
who  was  a  clergyman,  too,  should  lie.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  occasion  for  a  falsehood.  Then 
the  wakeful  young  man  recalled  other  incidents 
since  the  fire,  especially  the  hearing  of  the  ham- 
mer, on  the  night  the  family  moved,  in  the 
cellar.  Prince  had  gone  down  stairs  to  ascer- 
tain the  cause  of  the  noise,  and  found  that  his 
uncle  was  at  work  in  the  cellar.  He  was  fiUinci; 
up  a  hole  in  the  chimney  near  its  foundation  at 
the  bottom  of  the  cellar,  which  affected  the 
draught,  causing  the  flue  to  smoke.  That  was 
the  explanation  the  old  man  gave  of  the  nature 
of  his  night  job.  Prince  could  not  see  how  a 
hole  in  the  chimney  four  or  five  feet  below  tho 
stove  flue,  could  affect  the  draught ;  but  Fox 
Bushwell  had  been  a  brick-mason  once,  and  he 
ouGfht  to  know. 


296  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

Of  course,  if  his  uncle  said  so,  the  draught 
must  have  been  affected ;  and  it  was  quite  decent 
and  proper  to  fill  up  the  hole  which  made  the 
mischief,  especially  as  the  old  man  had  bricks 
and  mortar,  and  knew  how  to  do  it.  Prince 
was  a  boy,  and  had  a  boy's  curiosity ;  and,  as 
any  boy  would  have  done,  he  went  down  cellar  to 
see  how  and  where  the  job  had  been  done.  He 
had  found  the  arch,  on  one  side  of  which  the 
aperture  had  been  closed,  filled  with  old  rubbish, 
just  as  though  Fox  Bushwell  did  not  care  to 
have  his  handiwork  inspected,  though  he  had 
learned  the  mason's  trade.  It  seemed  just  as 
though  the  work  had  been  covered  up,  so  that 
no  one  should  see  where  the  hole  had  been 
stopped.  Besides,  Prince  was  of  the  opinion, 
whether  right  or  wrong,  that  a  hole  below  the 
stove-flue  in  the  kitchen  would  not  affect  the 
draught.  The  cook-stove  had  worked  very  well 
the  first  day  it  was  set  up,  so  far  as  he  could 
remember. 

"Uncle  Fox,  it  seems  from  Mr.  Longimore's 
story,  had  a  place  in  the  cellar  of  the  old  house 
where  he  kept  his  valuable  papers,"  Prince 
reasoned  to  himself.     "  He  kept  them  in  an    old 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  297 

brass  kettle ;  and  when  he  brought  the  package 
from  the  bank,  he  put  it  into  this  kettle,  and 
stowed  it  away  in  the  wall.  He  laid  up  In^ 
treasure  in  tlie  celkir.  lie  }>ut  the  bonds  into 
it,  and  they  were  burned.  If  he  stopped  to 
look  at  the  package,  he  must  have  seen  tha 
label  on  it.  Perhaps  he  looked  at  it,  and  per- 
haps he  didn't.  If  he  liad  a  place  in  the  old 
cellar  to  keep  his  papers,  why  shouldn't  he  have 
one  in  the  new  cellar?  The  question  before  tlio 
house  just  now  is,  whether  or  not  that  place  in 
the  foundation  of  the  cliimney  isn't  the  safe  for 
uncle  Fox's  papers.  If  he  lied  to  the  directors, 
about  the  meeting  with  the  cashier  that  morn- 
ing ;  if  he  lied  to  everybody  about  the  time  ho 
went  to  bed  on  the  night  of  the  fire,  there  must. 
be  something  worth  lying  for.  I  should  rather 
like  to  know  what's  in  the  bole  in  the  chimney, 
if  anything.  I  will  know,  too.  There  are  bricks 
and  mortar  in  the  cellar,  and  if  I  can  get  those 
two  bricks  out,  I  can  put  them  in  well  enough, 
especially  if  they  are  to  be  covered  up  with 
rubbish. 

'*"  When  ean  I  do  it  ?      It    won't   be   safe   for 
me  to  dig  out  the  bricks  when  uncle  Fox  is   in 


298  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

the  liouse,  for  he  will  hear  me.  lie  is  out  of 
the  house  a  good  part  of  the  day;  l)ut  then  Mrs. 
Pining  is  in  it.  The  more  I  think  of  it,  the 
better  satisfied  I  am  that  I  ought  to  know 
what's  in  that  hole  before  I  say  anything  to  my 
precious  guardian  about  the  bonds.  If  he  hap- 
pened by  any  possible  chance  to  save  them  from 
tlie  fire,  and  stowed  them  away  in  the  hole  in 
in  the  chimney,  he  will  remove  them  if  I  say 
anything." 

Thus  thinking  and  thus  talking  to  himself, 
he  went  to  sleep  from  sheer  exhaustion,  and 
Avithout  any  attempt  to  do  so.  He  that  talks  to 
himself  generally  talks  to  a  fool  ;  but  this  is  Ui.t 
always  true.  Prince's  talk  to  himself  rather 
cheered  him  ;  and  he  felt  that  he  was  talking  to 
a  pretty  smart  fellow  on  this  occasion.  He  be  ■ 
lieved  that  he  had  got  an  idea.  Fox  Bush  well 
would  he  any  time  for  twenty-five  cents,  and  of 
course  for  forty  thousand  dollars  he  would  tell 
as  many  lies  as  twenty-five  cents  goes  into  forty 
thousand,  if  his  life  lasted  long  enough  for  him 
to  do  so. 

Prince  slept  and  slept  after-  the  excitement 
and  fatia'ue  of  tlic  niidit.       He  did  not  hear  las 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  299 

uncle  call  him,  and  he  did  not  hear  Mrs.  Pining 
call  him.  He  did  not  awake  till  the  clock 
struck  nine,  when  his  nap  seemed  to  end  by 
limitation.  He  dressed  himself  rather  mechani- 
cally, going  over  all  the  reflections  which  had 
occupied  his  mind  before  he  went  to  sleep.  As 
people  often  find  it,  his  views  were  not  half  so 
firm  and  fixed  in  the  daylight  as  they  had  been 
in  the  darkness,  and  much  of  the  reasoning 
v/liich  was  strong  before,  was  weak  now.  Still 
he  was  determined  at  the  first  opportunity  to 
explore  that  hole  in  the  arch  of  the  chimney. 
He  had  a  suspicion,  and  it  seemed  to  be  a  duty 
either  to  convict  or  acquit  his  uncle  of  the  sup- 
posed  wrong. 

"  Sufferin,'  dyin'  world  !  "  groaned  Mrs.  Pining, 
when  he  appeared  in  the  kitchen,  where  his 
breakfast  was  waiting  for  him.  '^  I  thought  you 
was  goin'  to  lay  abed  all  day !  " 

"  I  was  tired,  and  couldn't  go  to  sleep  when 
I  went  to  bed,"  pleaded  Prince.  "Where  is 
uncle   Fox?" 

"  Gone  to  see  the  insurance  folks,"  snapped 
the  housekeeper.  '•'  I  want  my  money  to  buy 
some  things,  and  I  can't  git  none    on't    till    the 


300  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

insurance  is  paid.  I  hain't  got  nothin'  to  wear. 
I  can't  go  out  o'  the  house ;  and  Sabba'  day 
comin',  and  I  can't  go  to  meetin',  nor  nothin'. 
Folks  lay  abed  all  day,  so  I  can't  get  time  to 
do  nothin',  nuther. " 

"'I  don't  generally  lie  abed  so  late." 

"  Well,  you  needn't  complain  about  your 
victuals ;  it's  been  standin'  two  hours  waitin'  for 
you.  If  I  wanted  to  go  out  and  buy  some  things, 
I  can't  git  no  time  to  go." 

"  I  will  not  find  any  fault  when  I  lie  abed  as 
,  late  as  I  did  this  morning,"  replied  Prince, 
seating  himself  at  the  table. 

The  young  man  ate  his  breakfast,  and  left  the 
house.  During  the  day  he  attended  to  his  duties 
as  instructor  of  the  boat  clubs.  The  next  day 
he  was  up  betimes  in  the  morning,  so  that  the 
housekeeper  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  him. 
When  he  went  into  the  kitchen,  Mrs.  Pining 
was  reproaching  her  employer  for  not  paying 
her  interest,  and  setting  forth  her  need  of  "  sun- 
thin'  to  wear ; "  but  the  insurance  folks  had  not 
paid  him,  and  he  was  not  ready  to  meet  the 
demand. 

"You    can    give    me    sunthin' — can't  you?" 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  801 

whined  the  widow.  "Can't  you  let  me  have 
fifteen  dollars?" 

"  That's  more  money  than  I  have  in  the 
house,  Mrs.  Pining,"  replied  Fox  Bushwcll.  "  I 
expect  to  get  my  insurance  by  to-morrow,  tuul 
then  I  will  pay  you  the  forty-eight  dollars.  I 
can't  do  it  before.  You  mustn't  be  hard  upon 
me,  after  all  I've  lost." 

"  Dyin'  world  I  What's  goin'  to  become  on 
me,  if  I  don't  go  to  meetin'  ?  I  feel  jest  like  a 
heathen,   now."' 

■•'  Wait  a  few  days,  and  I'll  try  to  raise  the 
money  for  you." 

"  Lud's  sake  I  That's  jest  Avhat  you've  been 
sayin'  ever  sonce  the  fire.  Sufferin'  and  dyin'  in 
sin  and  iin;puty  I  without  nothin'  to  wear,  and 
no  chance  to  go  to  meetin'  !  " 

"  Prince,  liavc  you  seen  Longimore's  folks 
lately  ?  "  asked  Fox  Bush  well,  as  his  ward  en- 
tered the  kitchen. 

"  I  have  seen  them  every  day." 

"How  do  they  seem?" 

"  Better  than  they  were." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it.  I  don't  like  to  do  any- 
thing hard;  but  I  don't  see  how  I  can  help  it," 
whined  the  money  lender. 


802  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  uncle  Fox?" 
asked  Prince,  his  heart  rising  into  his  throat,  as 
much  with  indignation  as  with  fear. 

"  To-morrow  it  will  be  ten  days  since  Longi- 
more  went  off;  and  all  that  furniture  will  belong 
to  me  then." 

"  But  you  will  not  take  it  away  from  them  — 
will  you  ?  " 

"  What  on  earth  can  I  do  ?  I  can't  afford  to 
lose  six  hundred  and  twenty  dollars.  It  would 
ruin  me." 

"  But  you  can  afford  to  wait  a  few.  days," 
pleaded  Prince. 

"  What's  the  use  of  waiting  ?  Longimore's 
brother  can't  do  anything  for  his  folks.  The 
furniture  will  belong  to  me  to-morrow  ;  and  I 
think  I  know  where  I  can  sell  it  for  enough  to 
make  me  whole.  Currier  is  going  to  house- 
keeping soon,  and  wanted  to  buy  Captain  Sea- 
board's ;  but  when  he  saw  it,  he  said  it  wasn't 
good  enough  for  him.  I  shall  see  him  to-da}^; 
and  if  you  go  to  Longimore's  house,  I  wish  you 
would  just  ask  his  wife  if  she  has  any  objection 
to  my  showing  him  the  things  ~  this  afternoon. 
If  she  has,  I  shall  take  him  in  to-morrow." 


THE    DORCAS    CLUU.  ti,5 

"  I  ihiiik  3'ou  had  better  keep  quiet  for  a  few 
[lays,  uncle  Fox,"  said  Prince,  choking  doAvn 
his   indignation. 

"  Keep  quiet?  " 

"  At  least  till  you  get  your  insurance.  People 
are  sorry  for  INIrs.  Longimore  and  her  children, 
whatever  they  think  of  her  husband  ;  and  if  you 
should  take  her  furniture  away  from  her,  it 
would  excite  the  indignation  of  people  against 
you." 

"But  I  can't  afford  to  lose  my  customer,"  said 
Fox  Bushwell,  evidently  alarmed. 

"  If  you  do  anything  of  this  kind,  the  insur- 
ance peojjle  won't  pay  you  as  long  as  they  can 
help  doing'  so." 

"Currier  has  offered  me  seven  hundred  cash 
for  that  furniture,  without  seeing  it.  That 
includes  the  piano,  of  course.  But  I  expect  to 
get  eight  hundred." 

"  And  you  mean  to  make  nearly  two  hundred 
dollars  out  of  Mr.  Longimore's  misfortunes  ? " 
added  Prince,  his  eyes  flashing. 

"Of  course  I'm  going  to  get  as  much  as  I 
can  for  it." 

"  You  won't  sell  it,  uncle  Fox,"  replied  Prince, 
unable  to  contain  himself  any  longer. 


304  THE    DORCAS    GLUB. 

"Do  you  think  not,  Prince?" 

'*  I  know  you  won't.  If  no  one  else  inter- 
feres, I  will.     I  can  stop  it,  I  know." 

*'  Do  you  want  to  ruin  me,  Prince  ?  " 

**•  No  sir  ;  and  I  don't  want  you  to  ruin  any 
one  else.     Your  bill  of  sale  is  good  for  nothing." 

■"Good  for  nothing!"  gasped  the  miser. 

**  No  ;  at  least,  I  believe  it  is  not,  and  a  cer- 
tiiin  lawyer  says  there  is  doubt  enough  about  it 
to  hang  a  lawsuit  on." 

*' Good  Heaven!  What  do  you  mean?" 
gToaned  Fox  Bushwell. 

"  Most  people  believe  Mr.  Longimore  is  dead, 
and  that  he  has  been  dead  nine  days.  Your  bill 
of  sale  is  dated  to-morrow,  and  of  course  he 
could  not  sign  it  ten  days  after -he  was  dead." 

"Am  I  to  lose  my  money?"  whined  the 
miser, 

"  i  don't  know  ;  but  the  lawyers  won't  let 
you  take  the  furniture  to- morrow.  Mrs.  Longi- 
more has  taken  legal  advice,  and  feels  safe-  for 
a  while,"  rexDhed  Prince,  satisfied  that  he  had 
carried  his  point. 

Fox  Bushwell  groaned  in  bitterness  of  spirit. 
He  did  not  like  lawyers.     They  were  an  expen- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  805 

sive  luxury.  He  did  not  attempt  to  take  the 
furniture  on  the  tenth  day,  but  after  breakfast 
he  did  go  to  a  legal  gentleman  with  the  note 
and  bill  of  sale.  As  soon  as  he  had  gone,  Mrs. 
Pining  opened,  as  usual,  in  regard  to  her  unpaid 
interest,  which  she  certainly  needed. 

"  I  will  lend  you  fifteen  dollars,"  said  Prince, 
who  had  about  this  amount  left  of  his  two 
months'  allowance. 

"  Sufferin',  dyin'  !     You,  Prince  ?  " 

He  produced  the  money,  and  she  promised 
to  repay  it  as  soon  as  her  interest  was  received. 
She  bustled  about  in  great  haste,  and  went  to 
one  of  the  neighbors  to  borrow  garments  enough 
in  wliich  to  do  her  shopping. 

"  Lock  the  house,  and  put  the  key  of  the 
back  door  under  the  step,  if  you  go  out,  Prince," 
said  she,  as  she  left  the  house. 

Prince  did  lock  the  door,  but  he  did  not  put 
the  key  under  the  step.  He  locked  all  the  doors 
and  fastened  all  the  windows.  Then  he  went 
down  cellar,  and  removed  the  rubbish  from  the 
arch.  The  day  before  he  had  seen  his  uncle 
take  a  note  from  the  package  which  was  so  like 
the  bundle  of  bonds,  and  which  had  been  put 
20 


COG  THE   DOECAS    CLUB. 

in  the  old  secretary  saved  from  the  fire.  That 
bundle  of  papers  was  not  concealed  in  the  cel- 
lar, at  any  rate. 

The  mortar  of  the  two*  bricks  which  Fox 
Bushwell  had  laid  in  the  arch  was  not  very 
hard,  because  the  cellar  Avas  quite  damp.  Willi 
tlie  trowel  he  succeeded  in  dig-o^ino-  it  all  out 
of  the  interstices.  With  much  labor,  and  no 
little  slnll,  he  removed  the  first  brick,  and  then 
the  second.  Afraid  that  his  uncle  might  re  • 
turn,  he  thrust  his  arm  into  the  aperture,  and 
felt  about  for  any  article  the  cavity  might  con- 
tain. His  hand  touched  something  smooth  and 
soft  He  drew  it  forth.  It  was  a  package  en- 
veloped in  thin  rubber  cloth.  With  eager,  tremb- 
ling hands  he  unfolded  it,  removing  several 
newspaper  wrappers  after  the  covering  of  rubber 
cloth.  At  last  he  reached  a  package  which  was 
the  counterpart  of  the  bundle  of  valuable  papers 
he  had  seen  in  the  hands  of  his  uncle.  The 
label  indicated  that  it  contained  bonds;  and  a 
further  examination  convinced  him  that  this  Avas 
the  package  which  Fox  Bushwell  had  brought 
from  the  bank  —  by  mistake. 

''  The  precious  old  villain  !  "  muttered   Prince, 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  807 

as  he  rolled  up  the  bundle  again,  just  as  he  had 
found  it;  but  he  did  not  restore  it  to  the  hole 
in  the  chimney. 

Softening  the  mortar  in  the  tub,  he  relaid  the 
two  bricks,  and  rubbed  down  the  wall  till  it 
looked  as  it  had  before.  Restoring  the  rubbish 
as  his  uncle  had  placed  it,  he  left  the  cellar 
with  the  bonds  in  his  pocket  What  should  he 
do  with  them  ? 


508  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    president's    LETTER. 

TO  say  that  Prince  Willingood  was  almost 
beside  himself  with  joy,  on  the  one  hand, 
when  he  thought  of  the  triumphant  vindication 
of  Mollie's  father,  and  with  pity  and  detestation, 
on  the  other,  when  he  thought  of  his  uncle,  is 
expressing  his  feelings  only  very  mildly.  He 
had  not  believed  that  Fox  Bush  well  was  either 
wicked  or  brave  enough  to  commit  a  great  crime. 
The  story  of  the  brass  kettle  and  the  burning 
of  whatever  it  contained,  were  mere  inventions  ; 
and  now  that  the  bonds  were  safe,  he  could  not 
help  asking  the  hard  question,  how  it  was  that 
anything  happened  to  be  burned.  If  by  one 
remarkable  chance  the  bonds  were  in  tlie  cellar, 
and  by  another  equally  remarkable  chance  the 
house  was  burned  while  they  were  there,  it  was 
not  likely  that,  when  it  appeared  that  the  bonds 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  S09 

were  not  there,  the  burning  of  the  house  was  the 
simple  result  of  a  blind  fate. 

Prince  had  his  doubts,  and  they  troubled  him 
sorely;  for,  whatever  else  Fox  Bushwell  might 
be,  he  was  the  young  man's  uncle.  Why  had 
the  old  man  taken  so  much  pains  on  that  par- 
ticular evening  to  show  the  cashier  that  he  kept 
his  valuable  papers  in  a  brass  kettle,  concealed 
in  the  cellar  wall  ?  He  could  not  resist  the  con- 
clusion, much  as  he  desired  to  do  so,  that  the 
house  had  been  burned  in  order  to  cover  the 
loss  of  the  bonds.  Of  course  he  could  not 
have  anticipated  the  disappearance  of  the  cashier 
on  the  morning  after  the  fire  ;  but  the  evidence 
would  have  been  just  as  convincing  to  the 
directors  as  to  Mr.  Longimore.  He  took  the 
bonds  by  mistake,  as  the  presence  of  his  own 
private  papers  at  the  bank  would  show  ;  he  had 
put  them  where  he  usually  kept  his  own  most 
valuable  documents ;  and  now  they  were  de- 
stroyed. Turn  it  over  in  whatever  way  he  might. 
Prince  could  not  help  believing  that  his  uncle 
had  intended  to  do  a  great  wrong. 

Boy  as  he  was,  he  had  right  views  in  regard 
to  his  duty.      He  had  positively  refused   to  take 


£10  TliC    DOIl'JAS    CLUB. 

part  in  the  concealment  of  Air.  Lono^imore's  pos- 
sible crime,  and  conld  he  d.)  less  in  regard  to 
that  of  Fox  Bushwell?  Badly  a;  his  uncle  hid 
treated  him,,  until  driven  by  the  fear  of  conse- 
quences to  do  better,  the  nephew  was  actuated 
by  no  spirit  of  revenge.  He  would  gladly  save 
his  uncle  from  exposure  and  punishment ;  but  it 
must  rest  with  the  directors  of  the  bank  to  pro- 
ceed as  they  thought  best.  Some  of  them  were 
also  stockholders  and  directors  in  the  insurance 
company  which  refused  to  settle  the  money- 
lender's claim  for  his  loss. 

In  the  privacy  of  his  chamber  Prince  removed 
Ihe  wrappers  from  the  bundle  he  had  taken  from 
the  hole  in  the  chimney,  and  satisfied  himself 
that  it  contained  the  bonds.  He  even  counted 
the  amount  of  them  and  found  it  corresponded 
with  that  of  the  lost  package.  And  then  again 
came  the  question,  what  should  he  do  with 
them.  He  could  not  keep  them  in  the  house, 
and  he  dared  not  carry  them  down  to  the  retreat 
of  the  exiled  cashier,  lest  they  should  be  lost 
by  the  upsetting  of  the  boat,  or  some  other 
accident,  which,  under  other  circumstances,  he 
would  not  have  regarded  as  even  possible.     The 


THE   DOIICAS    CLUB.  I'll 

salvation  of  the  cashier  depended  upon  the 
restoration  of  the  package  to  the  bank ;  and  he 
could  not  risk  a  single  chance  of  failure  to  do 
his  whole  duty.  But,  whatever  was  done,  Mrs. 
Longimore  and  Mollie  ought  to  liave  the  good 
news  at  once  —  the  good  news  which  would 
restore  to  them  the  husband  and  father  without 
the  stain  of  crime. 

Prince  wrapped  up  the  bonds  again  just  as  he 
had  found  them  in  the  hole  in  the  chimnej',  and 
went  out  of  the  houiie  at  the  back  door.  This 
time,  when  he  had  locked  it,  he  put  the  key 
under  the  step.  The  package  of  bonds  was  in 
the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat,  and  he  kept  one 
hand  upon  it  every  moment  of  the  time  he  was 
in  the  street  on  his  way  to  the  cashier's  home. 
lie  was  promptly  admitted,  as  he  always  was. 
Mrs.  Longimore  and  M>)llie  were  more  cheerful 
than  they  had  been  before  for  a  fortnight,  for 
the  cashier  was  not  dead,  and  there  was  a  chance 
that  his  innocence  might  be  proved. 

Prince's  eyes  glowed  when  he  entered  the 
house,  for  he  was  intensely  excited ;  as  who 
would  not  have  been  under  such  circumstances  ? 
iMrs.  Longimore  at  once  concluded  that  he  had 
fouglit  the  great  battle  witli  his  uncle. 


312  THE   DOECAS    CLUB. 

"  You  have  done  it,  Prince,  I  see  by  your 
looks,"  said  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  Done  what  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  Talked  with  your  uncle.  You  have  told 
him  what  you  said  you  should." 

''  No,  I  have  not.  I  have  not  said  a  word  to 
him,  and  I  don't  intend  to  do  so  now." 

"You  said  you  should  tell  him  squarely  that 
he  knew  all  about  the  bonds,"  added  the  lady, 
perplexed  and  disappointed  by  his  change  of 
front.  "  I  am  sure  my  husband  has  told  you 
the  truth." 

"  I  know  he  has,"  replied  Prince,  warmly. 

"  And  he  depends  upon  you  to  help  him  prove 
his  innocence." 

"  Not  in  vain  has  he  depended  upon  me.  I 
have  done  better  than  I  could  by  talking  with 
my  uncle,"  answered  the  young  man,  proudly. 

"Why,  what  do  you  mean?" 

"  I  have  found  the  bonds." 

"  Found  them  !  "  gasped  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  You  don't  mean  so,  Prince !  "  exclaimed 
MoUie. 

"  But  I  do,"  he  added,  taking  them  from  his 
pocket,    and    tossing    the    bundle  on    the    table. 


v.    I.    'li  II     ^  'fill 


i 


THE   DOKCAS   CLUC.  313 

"There  they  are  —  every  bond,  just  as  they 
came  from  the  bank.  Mr.  Longiraore  can  come 
back  now  as  soon  as  he  pleases." 

"  Why,  Prince ! "  cried  Mollie,  clasping  her 
hands  with  delight. 

"  My  dear  boy,  you  have  -oaved  us  all,"  added 
the  mother. 

"  I   have  done  the  best  I  could." 

"Angels  could  no  more,"  said  Mollie. 

"  Did  your  uncle  give  3'ou  the  package  ?  Has 
he  repented?  Has  he  changed  his  mind?"  asked 
Mrs.  Longimore. 

"  He  did  not  give  them  to  me,  and  he  has 
had  no  chance  to  repent  or  to  change  his  mind. 
He  knows  nothing  at  all  of  what  1  have  done, 
and  doubtless  believes  the  package  is  just  where 
he  left  it,"  replied  Prince.  "•  It  all  looks  like 
a  plain  case  to  you  ;  but  I  am  sorely  bothered. 
I  don't  know  what  to  do." 

"It  seems  to  me  you  have  done  everything 
already,"  suggested  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"But  there  are  two  sides  to  this  question. 
Your  husband  is  one  side,  and  my  uncle  is  the 
other.  The  burden  has  been  sliiftcd  from  Mr. 
Longimore  to  Fox  Bushwell,"  Prince    explained. 


oil  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"If  I  tloirt  hand  these  bonds  over  to  the  ]n\\i\, 
the  directors  will  arrest  your  hushand  wb.en  lie 
comes  back;  if  I  do  hand  them  over,  llicy  v\  i:l 
arrest  my  uncle.  I  brought  them  here,  becauiie 
I  want  you  to  advise  me  what  to  do." 

"I  suppose  there  is  onl}^    one    way,  and    Ihat 
is,   to  do  right,"  replied  the  cashier's  wife. 

"  We  don't  always  know  what  is  right." 

"  You  have  not    told    me  where    3^ou  got    the 
bonds,    Prince." 

"I  will  tell  you  all  about  it.  On  the  night 
after  the  fire  I  heard  a  clicking  noise  down 
stairs.  I  went  into  the  kitchen,  and  found  my 
uncle  was  at  work  on  the  chimney  in  the  cellar. 
I  thought  nothing  of  it  then  ;  but  after  I  had 
seen  Mr.  Longimore,  I  had  some  suspicions. 
This  morning,  when  uncle  Fox  and  Mrs. 
Pining  were  absent,  I  took  out  two  bricks  in 
the  chimney,  and  found  the  bonds.  That's 
the  whole  story.  I  put  this  and  that  together, 
and  found  that  two  and  two  made  four.  That's 
the  reason  I  thought  of  seeing  what  ailed  that 
chimney." 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  you    to    search    the    house, 
Prince,  for  I  did  not  tlii:ik  the  mistake    in    the 


THE    DOllGAS    CLUB.  315 

package,  and  the  burning  of  the  house,  were 
two  things  that  were  likely  to  happen  in  the 
same  night ;  hut  I  did  not  like  to  ask  you  to 
do  so,"  added  Mrs.  Longimore. 

"That    was    just    my    own    thought.      I    am 
afraid  the    fire    was  not    an    aceident.     I    heard 
uncle  Fox  tell,  a  year  ago  or  more    how  a  man 
set  his  barn  on    fire,  and    was    ten  miles    away 
when  the  flames  burst  out.     He  fixed    a    candle 
in  the  hay,  in  such  a  way  that    it    would    burn 
two  hours  before  the  fire  got  down  to    the  hay. 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  set  his  own    house    on 
fire  in    the    same    way,  for  ho    was  fast    asleep 
when  I  called  him." 
"Perhaps  he  was." 
"  I  had  hard  work  to  wake  him." 
"  That  was  part  of  the  play,  it  may   be." 
"I  can  easily  believe  it    was.     The    insurance 
■riompany  have  not  paid  the   loss    yet,  and    keep 
ijuttiuff  him  off,"    added  Prince.     "I    think    the 
officers  suspect    that    something    is  wrong.     But 
what  are  we  to  do    with    these    bonds  ?     That's 
the  question  now." 

"I  can  advise  only  one  thing,  Prince,"  said 
Mrs.  Longimore.  "  I  should  not  be  willing  to 
have  them  over  night  in  this  house." 


316  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  I  should  not  in  my  uncle's  ;  and  I  don't 
like  to  cany  them  down  to  Mr.  Longimore,  for 
fear  some  accident  might  happen,"  added  Prince. 

"Why  not  carry  them  to  the  bank?"  asked 
Mollie,  who  could  not  see  the  necessity  of  doing 
anything  short  of  what  was  exactly  right. 

"I  don't  want  to  make  it  any  worse  for  my 
uncle  than  is  necessary.  If  I  had  done  what  1 
felt,  at  first,  that  I  ought  to  do,  I  should  have 
informed  Mr.  Doane  of  what  Simon  Potter  had 
told  me.  Then  they  would  have  arrested  Mr. 
Longimore,  and  the  bonds  might  never  have 
been  found.  Of  course  the  whole  truth  must 
come  out;  but  I  wish  to  spare  uncle  Fox  as 
much  as  possible  without  doing  anything  wrong. 
I  will  tell  you  what  I  will  do  :  I  will  ask  Mr. 
Doane  to  come  over  here  ;  we  will  tell  him  the 
whole  story,  and  then  do  just  as  he  says." 

This  proposition  met  with  favor;  and  Mrs. 
Longimore  wrote  a  note  to  the  president  of  the 
bank,  which  Mollie  carried  to  him.  Mr.  Doane 
returned  with  her. 

"I  suppose  all  the  people  at  the  bank  believe 
that  my  husband  took  those  bonds,  Mr.  Doane," 
said  Mrs.  Longimore,  when  the  president  was 
seated. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  317 

•'  We  tried  hard  to  believe  that  he  did  not. 
x^oa  know  we  always  held  him  in  the  high- 
est respect  and  regard,  and  we  are  only  sorry 
now  that  we  had  not  raised  his  salary,  and 
thus  removed,  in  part  at  least,  any  tempta- 
tion for  him  to  do  anything  wrong,"  replied 
the  president.  "  We  never  heard  till  since  he 
left  he  was  in  debt  or  in  trouble.  If  he  had 
only  asked  for  more  salary,  we  should  certainly 
have  granted  it.  As  it  is,  we  feel  a  little  to 
blame  for  not  doing  so." 

"  You  are  certainly  very  kind  to  make  any 
allowance  for  him  ;  but  I  wish  to  say  that  my 
husband  would  not  steal  under  any  temptation," 
added  the  wife. 

"I  hope  not." 

"1  am  sure  of  it,"  continued  Mrs.  Longimore, 
taking  the  bundle  of  bonds  from  the  table. 
"  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  open  that  pack- 
age?" 

Mr.  Doane  removed  the  several  coverings,  and 
opened  his  eyes  very  wide  when  he  came  to  the 
familiar  wrapper,  red  tape,  and  label  of  the  lost 
bonds.  Though  he  did  not  say  so,  the  sight  of 
the    package    convinced     him    that    the    cashier 


ri3  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

could  steal,  and  had  stolen,  tlieni,  cither  with  or 
without  the  temptation  of  a  burden  of  private 
debts.  Finding  them  in  the  house  of  the  absent 
ffficial  seemed  to  be  evidence  that  he  had  stolen 
them. 

"  I  am  very  glad  indeed  to  recover  these 
l>onds,"  said  he,  "  not  only  for  the  sake  of  the 
bank,  but  for  Mr.  Longimore's  sake.  I  assure 
you  the  people  of  the  bank  have  no  ill  will 
towards  your  husband,  madam  ;  and  since  the 
l)roperty  has  been  restored,  I  think  I  can  guar- 
antee that  they  will  not  prosecute  him." 

"•  Mr.  Longimore  knows  no  more  about  those 
bonds  than  you  did  ten  minutes  ago,  Mr.  Doane," 
interposed  Prince,  warmly,  for  he  did  not  like 
the  cool  tone  of  the  proceedings.  "  He  did  not 
steal  them,  did  not  take  them,  did  not  hide 
them,  did  not  do  anything  with  them.  He  is 
as  innocent  as  you    are,  sir." 

"  I'm  sure  I  hope  he  is,"  protested  the  presi- 
dent. 

"  I  know  he  is  !  "  exclaimed  the  young  man. 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  so  Avell  informed,  my 
young  friend,"  added  Mr.  Doane,  with  a  smile 
at  the  earnestness  of  the  speaker.     "  If  Mr.  Lon- 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  319 

gimore  had  not — had  not  left,  doubtless  the 
affair  Avould  have  presented  a  different  aspect. 
Perhaps  you  had  better,  let  Mrs.  Longimore  ex- 
]>lain  the  circumstances  under  which  the  bonds 
ciuno  into  her  possession." 

The  president  was  a  little  dry,  and  ratlier 
sarcastic,  in  his  manner  towards  Prince,  who 
appeared  to  be  meddling  with  what  did  not  con- 
cern him. 

"  Prince  brought  them  here  just  before  I  sent 
for  you,"  said  Mrs.  Longimore,  promptly. 

"  Ah  !  indeed!"  added  Mr.  Doane,  feeling  now 
that  the  young  man  had  a  right  to  speak. 

Prince  did  speak.  He  said  that  jNIr.  Longi- 
more was  alive,  that  he  had  told  him  just  what 
liad  passed  between  himself  and.  Fox  Bushwell, 
and  related  in  detail  his  own  suspicions,  '  and 
the  manner  in  wliich  he  had  taken  the  l)onds 
from  the  hole  in  the  chimney,  within  the  hour 
in  which  he  spoke.  Of  course  Mr.  Doane  was 
interested.  The  story  was  plausible,  and  the 
bundle  of  bonds  in  his  hands  fully  confirmed 
it. 

"I  am  sorry  for  3-our,  uncle,"  said  the  presi- 
dent. 


C2)  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

*'So  am  I,  sir;  but  I  have  told  the  whole 
truth,  without  regard  to  him  or  any  one  else," 
replied  Prince. 

"  You  are  entitled  to  \\,  great  deal  of  credit 
for  what  you  have  done,  and  the  directors  will 
not  forget  that  these  bonds  have  been  recovered 
through  your  agency.  How  guilty  Mr.  Bush- 
well  was  I  cannot  say.  If  he  really  made  a  mis- 
take, and  took  the  wrong  package  from  the  bank 
by  accident,  and  then  was  tempted  to  keep  them, 
when  the  error  was  discovered,  it  is  a  little  bet- 
ter than  if  he  purposely  took  the  bonds  from  the 
bank,  as,  I  confess  I  am  afraid  he  did.  Either 
was  bad  enough." 

"  I  didn't  think  uncle  Fox  was  villian  enough 
to  do  such  a  thing,"  added  Prince.  "  I  had 
some  trouble  with  him  a  while  ago ;  but  that 
grew  out  of  his  meanness  only.  Now  I  wish 
3'ou  would  tell  me  what  to  do,  Mr.  Doane." 

"  I  think  you  need  do  nothing,  Prince.  You 
have  done  enough.  But  this  matter  opens 
another.  I  am  one  of  the  directors  of  the  in- 
surance company  which  took  the  risk  on  your 
uncle's  house.  We  generally  settle  losses  at 
once.      But   we   had   some  doubts  in    Mr.  Bush- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  321 

well's  case.  We  have  not  been  able  to  get  hold 
of  the  facts,  for  his  statements  do  not  exactly 
coincide  with  each  other.  I  need  not  say  that 
your  account  of  the  bonds  makes  the  matter  ten 
times  worse  for  him." 

"  In  a  word,  you  believe  that  my  uncle  set 
fire  to  his  own  house  to  get  the  insurance,"  added 
Prince. 

'•  "We  have  not  said  that  we  believed  he  did 
so.  That  would  place  it  a  little  too  strong.  If 
the  fire  caught  from  his  lamp,  and  he  went  to 
bed  at  half  past  ten,  it  would  have  broken  out 
before  midnight.  We  do  not  believe  it  was  set 
on  fire,  for  no  one  could  have  thrown  a  match 
into  the  heap  of  shavings,  where  the  fire  started, 
on  that  side  of  the  house,  for  there  was  no  cel- 
lar window  there." 

"  My  uncle  did  not  go  to  bed  that  night  till  after 
twelve,"  added  Prince,  explaining  the  events  con- 
nected with  the  fire. 

"  Then  your  uncle  has  not  told  us  the  truth, 
though  the  truth  would  have  served  his  purpose 
better  than  a  falsehood.  If  he  had  said  the  fire 
had  broken  out  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after 
he  left  the  cellar,  we  could  have  understood  that 
21 


822  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

he  was  careless  with  his  lamp.  He  insured  the 
house  only  a  short  time  before  it  was  burned, 
though  he  never  paid  a  dollar  for  insurance  be- 
fore. There  are  other  circumstances  which  make 
the  case  doubtful." 

"  Since  Prince  told  my  husband's  story,  I  have 
felt  sure  that  Mr.  Bushwell  set  his  house  on  fire 
to  make  it  appear  that  the  bonds  were  burned," 
added  Mrs.  Longimore.  "  At  any  rate,  Mr.  Lon- 
gimore  believed  they  were  l>urned,  and  this  be- 
lief made  him  almost  crazy." 

"It  was  a  terribly  trying  situation  for  him, 
especially  after  he  had  pledged  all  his  furniture 
to  enable  him  to  pay  the  sum  he  had  over- 
drawn, which  he  need  not  have  done.  He 
charged  every  dollar  he  took  ;  and  if  we  had 
known  the  circumstances,  we  should  have  raised 
his  salary,  instead  of  censuring  him. 

"  But  I  want  to  tell  him  that  the  bonds  are 
safe,"  said  Prince.  "  The  poor  man  is  in  misery 
now,  and  this  news  will  rejoice  him.  What 
shall  I  say  to  him  from  you  ?  "  asked  the  young 
man,   anxiously, 

"  The  directors  will  be  in  session  this  fore- 
noon.      Come    to    the    l^ank  in    half    an      hour, 


THE    DOKCAS'  CLUB.  323 

Prince,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  to  say  to  him, 
I  hope  and  believe  it  will  be  a  message  you  will 
delight  to  carry  to  him." 

"  And  what  is  to  be  done  with   my  uncle  ?  " 

'•  I  don't  know  yet.  The  insurance  people 
meet  to-morrow,  to  settle  your  uncle's  and  other 
losses.  We  intend  to  question  Mr.  Bushwell 
again  ;  and  after  what  you  have  said  I  can  do 
so  more  intelligently  than  before.  On  the  whole, 
I  think  we  had  better  not  mention  anything  that 
has  occurred.  We  will  keep  it  all  from  the  public, 
at  least  till  to-morrow.  You  will  not  say  any- 
thing to  your  uncle,  Prince  —  not  a  word;  but 
some  one  will  keep  an  eye  on  him  hereafter." 

Mr.  Doane  left  the  house,  and  hastened  to 
the  bank,  where  lie  arrived  just  in  season  to 
preside  at  the  meeting  of  the  directors,  at  ten 
o'clock.  He  was  hardly  gone  before  Minnie 
Darling  and  Nellie  Patterdale  called. 

"  Is  Prince  Willingood  here  ?  "  asked  Minnie, 
when  Mollie  went  to  the  door. 

"  He  is,"  she  replied. 

"  He  is  a  pretty  professor  of  the  art  of  row- 
ing," pouted  Minnie.  "It  is  after  ten  o'clock; 
the  two  new  boats  —  the    Lil}^  and    the    Psyche 


324  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

—  are  already  in  the  water,  and  we  want  our 
instructor." 

"He  has  been  very  busy  for  us  this  morning. 
He  is  exceedingly  kind  to  us ;  and  if  he  is  late, 
I  hope  you  will  excuse  him,"  pleaded  Mollie  ; 
and  there  was  a  smile  on  her  face,  as  sweet  as 
it  was  unwonted  of  late. 

"  Then  he  is  certainly  excused,"  added  Nellie. 

"But  won't  you  go  with  us,  MolUe  ?  "  asked 
Minnie.  "  You  are  the  leader  of  our  boat,  you 
know." 

"  Perhaps  I  will  go  ;  but  I  don't  know  any- 
thing about  rowing,  you  are  aware." 

"  Prince  will  show  you  all  about  it  ;  and  I'm 
sure  he  never  did  a  pleasanter  duty  in  his  life," 
added  Minnie,  encouraged  by  the  smile  of  her 
friend.     "I  hope  you  will  go." 

"  Come  in,  and  I  will  ask  mother." 

"  Ah,  Professor  Willingood,  have  you  for- 
gotten the  duties  of  your  office  ?  "  asked  Min- 
nie, as  they  entered  the  room  where  Prince 
was. 

"  I  confess  that  I  did  forget  them  ;  but  I  Avas 
very  busy  about  important  business,"  pleaded 
he. 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  325 

"You  are  forgiven,  at  Mollie's  request." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  be  with  you  this  fore- 
noon, for  I  have  to  go  to  Northport." 

"•Indeed  you  must  be  with  us,  professor.  We 
have  four  boats  alloat,  and  we  need  you.  Can't 
you  take  all  the  boats  to  Northport  with  you  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  can." 

"  And  Mollie  will  go,  too." 

"Can  I,  mother?"  asked  she. 

"  Certainly  you  can.  You  need  the  air,  for 
you  have  hardly  been  out  of  the  house  for  a 
fortnight." 

"Then  I  shall  go,  by  all  means,"  laughed 
Prince. 

"  I  knew  you  would." 

"  You  can  bring  a  passenger  back  with  you,'' 
added  the  instructor  of  rowing,  with  a  signifi- 
cant glance  at  Mrs.  Longimore  and  her  daugh- 
ter. 

"  Who  ?  Not  that  wild  man  with  the  conic 
section  on  his  head  ?  " 

"No;  but  if  the  passenger  is  ready  to  come, 
you  shall  see  who  it  is,"  replied  Prince.  "  Now, 
if  you  will,  go  doAvn  to  the  shop,  and  take 
your  places  in  the    boats,  I  will  be    there    in  a 


£26  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

few  moments ;  or  you  can  pull  about  till  I  get 
there." 

The  girls  hastened  away  to  the  shore,  rejoiced 
to  have  Mollie  with  them  for  the  first  time. 
Prince  went  to  the  bank  ten  minutes  earlier 
than  the  time  he  had  been  requested  to  be 
there  ;  but  the  action  in  regard  to  the  cashier 
had  been  taken,  and  Mr.  Doane  was  writing  a 
letter  to  him,  which  he  handed  to  the  messen- 
ger. 

"  Give  this  to  Mr.  Longimore,  Prince,"  said 
the  president.  "We  have  raised  his  salary  five 
hundred  dollars  a  year,  so  as  to  cover  the  last 
two  years.  We  have  invited  him  to  return  to 
his  place  at  once." 

"  That's  handsome,  sir,"  exclaimed  Prince, 
as  much  rejoiced  as  though  the  hundred  dollars 
of  back  pay  was  to  go  into  his  own  pocket. 

"  More  than  this.  Prince  ;  the  bank  has  rec- 
ognized your  important  services  in  recovering 
the  bonds  by  a  grant  of  five  thousand   dollars." 

"I  object  sir !"  protested  Prince.  "You  must 
give  the  money  to  Mr.  Longimore.  I  don't  want 
it ;  I  am  rich  ;  1  have  an  income  of  eighteen 
hundred  a  year.     If  you  will  only    give  it  to  the 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  827 

cashier  to  pa}'"  his  debts,  I  sliall  be  ten  times  as 
much  obliged  to  you." 

"Do  you  hear  what  this  young  fellow  sa3^s  ?  " 
lauglied  the  president,  turning  to    the  directors. 

They  did  not  hear ;  but  Mr.  Doane  explained. 
Prince  argued,  when  they  protested  ;  and.  by 
sheer  begging  at  last  he  induced  them  to 
comply. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  can  draw  his  back  pay  as 
soon  as  he  returns,"  added  Mr.  Doane. 

"  Suppose  you  put  it  all  together  in  one 
check,  and  enclose  it  in  this  letter  ?  "  suggested 
Prince. 

The  president  complied  ;  and  the  letter,  after 
the  addition  of  a  postscript  and  the  check,  was 
given  to  him.  The  messenger  hastened  with  a 
light  heart  to  join  the  boat-clubg. 


328  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE  CLUBS  PULL  TO  NORTHPOET. 

WHEN  Prince  reached  the  pier  in  front  of 
the  boat-shop,  four  of  the  five  clubs 
were  seated  in  the  boat,  pulUng  about  near  the 
shore.  Mollie  had  her  place  in  the  Dorcas,  and 
had  already  made  considerable  progress  in  learn- 
ing her  duty  as  leader,  under  the  direction  of 
Minnie,  who  was  at  the  stroke  oar.  The  two 
new  boats  could  not  be  distinguished  from  the 
old  ones,  except  by  reading  the  name  on  the 
stern  or  bows.  The  weather  was  mild  and  pleas- 
ant, and  there  was  hardly  a  ripple  on  the  bay 
between  the  city  and  Turk  Head. 

"Dorcas  ahoy!"  shouted    Prince. 

"  "Won't  you  go  with  us,  Professor  Willin- 
good  ?  "  asked  Kitty  Jones,  mischievously,  as  the 
Lily  Club  pulled  by  the  })ier. 

"  No,  I  thank  you  ;  I  must  go  in  the  Dorcas," 
replied  the  instructor. 


THE    DOUCAS   CLUB.  320 

"  Of  course  you  must  ! "  laughed  Kitty. 
"•  Where  Mollie  Long-hiiore  is,  the  professor 
must  be." 

"  She  hasn't  learned  to  row  yet,"  pleaded 
Prince. 

••'  She  is  the  leader  of  the  Dorcas  Club,  and 
she  need  not  learn,"  added  Jennie  Waite.  "  That's 
only   an  excuse." 

*•'  Well,  it's  a  good  excuse,"  replied  Prince, 
as  the  Dorcas  approached,  and  he  took  his  place 
by  the  side  of  Mollie  Longimore,  in  the  stern- 
sheets. 

All  the  boats  gathered  together  near  the  pier, 
to  obtain  their  instructions.  Before  Prince 
could  give  them,  each  of  the  leaders  in  her  boat 
produced  a  flag,  and  began  to  wave  it  vigor- 
ously above  her  head.  This  demoiistration  ap- 
peared to  be  intended  to  surprise  the  instructor, 
and  of  course  he  gallantly  expressed  his  aston- 
ishment at  this  sudden  display  of  the  colors. 
Some  of  the  girls  thought  that  a  boat  without  a 
flag  was  like  a  man  Avithout  a  country,  and  they 
liad  supplied  the  deficiency  without  mentioning 
the  matter  to  Prince.  The  flags  were  very  pretty, 
certainl}'.      The  ground   of   each  was  white  silk. 


330  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

crossed  diagonally,  like  the  Russian  man-of-war 
ensign,  with  another  color,  which  in  the  Dorcas's 
was  red,  in  the  Lilj^'s  yellow,  in  the  Undine's 
blue,  and  in  the  Psyche's  green,  Don  John  had 
[)laced  a  couple  of  small  e\'e-bolfcs  in  the  stern 
of  each  boat  for  the  flag-staff. 

"■  Professor  Willingood,  we  greet  you,"  said 
Carrie  West,  in  the  Psyche. 

"Thank  you.  If  this  demonstration  was  in- 
tended as  a  salute  to  me,  I  acknowledge  the 
compliment,"  replied  Prince,  removing  his  hat, 
bowing  as  gracefully  as  the  occasion  seemed  lo 
require. 

"  Of  course  we  could  not  hoist  the  flag  tid 
the  commodore  came  on  board,"  added  Minnie. 

"  I  shall  not  arrogate  to  myself  so  high-sound- 
ing a  title  as  that ;  bnt  I  suggest  that  you  will 
need  such  a  personage  to  regulate  the  move- 
ments of  the  fleet,"  continued  Prince.  "  It  gives 
me  very  great  pleasure  to  be  able  to  say  that 
you  row  exceedingly  well,  and  that  you  handle 
your  boats  very  skilfully.  Tliere  is  a  great  vari- 
ety of  movements  which  may  be  made  b}"  tlie 
fleet.  With  four  boats,  you  may  row  in  a  sin- 
gle line,  two  abreast,  or  four  abreast.  This  fore- 
noon   we    will    coidlijc    our    attention    to    these 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  881 

changes.  If  we  had  five  boats  we  could  do 
better." 

"  I  hope  we  sluill  have  another  boat  soon," 
said  Kitty  Jones,  nervously,  for  she  was  full  of 
excitement. 

"  As  we  have  but  four,  we  wdll  make  the  best 
of  them,"  replied  Prince.  "  Let  us  understand 
how  to  make  the  changes  before  we  start.  We 
M'ill  go  off  in  a  single  line,  in  this  order  :  Dor- 
cas, Lily,  Undine,  Psyche.  At  the  word,  '  By 
twos,'  the  first  and  third  boats  will  cease  row- 
ing, the  second  boat  will  pull  alongside  the  first, 
and  the  fourth  alongside  the  third.  Then  the 
third  and  fourth  will  close  up,  and  each  boat 
that  stops  rowing  will  commence  again  as  soon 
as  the  other  boat  is  abreast  of  her." 

"  But  we  may  not  hear  tlic  order  in  the  fourth 
boat,"  suggested  Carrie  West. 

"  Then  we  will  give  the  word  by  signal,"  re- 
plied Prince,  picking  up  the  boat-hook,  and 
fastening  his  handkerchief  to  tlie  end  of  it.  "  I 
will  raise  the  signal,  and  hold  it  upright  till  all 
the  leaders  are  sure  to  see  it ;  then  I  will  drop 
it  twice  to  the  left  for  the  order  of  '  By  twos.'  " 

"That  will  be  nice!"  said  Kate  Bilcler. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 


"  All  ready,  then  ;  follow  the  Dorcas,"  added 
Prince. 

The  Dorcas  led  the  way,  and  the  boats  were 
soon  in  a  single  line,  headed  towards  the  North- 
port  shore.  The  girls  pulled  with  remarkable 
precision,  keeping  the  slow  and  measured  stroke 
required  of  them.  After  the  fleet  had  gone  a 
little  way,  Prince  elevated  the  signal,  holding  it 
up  for  a  couple  of  minutes.  It  was  seen,  for  all 
the  leaders  were  on  the  lookout  for  it ;  but  none 
of  the  rowers  could  see  it,  of  course,  as  they 
sat  back  to  it.  Dropping  it  twice  to  the  left, 
the  first  and  third  boats  lay  upon  their  oars,  and 
the  second  and  fourth  pulled  to  the  left,  as  di- 
rected, till  the  four  were  in  pairs,  and  all  gave 
way  again.  It  was  pretty  well  done,  for  the 
first  attempt.  It  was  repeated  several  times,  till 
the  instructor  was  satisfied,  and  then  the  four 
clubs  were  called  together  for  another  "  pow- 
wow." 

"  We  need  some  more  signals,"  said  Prince. 
"  When  I  Avave  this  flag  in  a  circle  around  my 
head,"  —  and  he  suited  the  action  to  the  word, 
—  "you  will  all  come  together,  as  we  are  now. 
When  I  drop  it  once  to  the  left,  it  means  '  sin- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  oao 

gle  line  ; '  when  I  drop  it  four  times,  alternately 
to  the  left  and  right,  it  means  'by  fours.'  To 
change  from  twos  to  fours,  the  Psyche  will  go 
to  the  left  of  the  Lily,  and  the  Undine  to  the 
right  of  the  Dorcas,  the  two  boats  in  the  fro;  it 
line  lying  on  their  oars  till  the  other  two  come 
alongside." 

The  instructor  repeated  his  explanation  till  all 
the  leaders  understood  it,  and  then  the  boats 
Avent  off  in  single  line.  The  signal  "  by  twos  " 
was  then  given,  and  the  movement  very  well 
executed.  While  in  this  order,  the  signal  was 
elevated  and  dro[)ped  four  times.  The  leaders 
of  the  Dor'jas  and  the  Lily  gave  the  order  for 
the  rowers  to  lie  on  their  oars,  while  those  of 
the  Undine  and  the  Psyche  steered  tlieir  boats 
towards  the  positions  assigned  to  them.  Unfor- 
tunatel}^  the  rear  boats  were  too  near  the  front 
rank,  and  could  not  turn  short  enough  to  clear 
the  head  boats.  Prince  gave  the  signal  to  come 
together,  u[)on  this  failure,  and  instructed  the 
rowers  of  the  Dorcas  and  Lil}^  not  to  stop,  but 
to  pull  slowly,  while  those  in  the  Undine  and 
Psyche  were  to  pull  rapidly.  The  experiment 
was  repeated,  and  was  a  success.     The  girls  were 


<^34  THE    DOnCAS    CLUB. 

delighted   with  the    result,  which    was   improved 
by  practice. 

To  pass  from  "fours"  to  "twos,"  and  from 
"  twos  "  to  a  single  line,  the  orders  were  re- 
versed. These  manoeuvres  were  executed  several 
times,  and  the  fair  rowists  were  intensely  inter- 
ested in  them,  so  much  so  that  they  gave  their 
whole  attention,  which  is  required  in  order  to 
do  anything  well.  Molhe  Longimore  was  an 
apt  scholar  under  the  tuition  of  Prince,  and 
before  the  fleet  reached  the  Northport  shore  she 
was  able  to  give  all  the  orders.  As  the  boats 
approached  the  mouth  of  Little  River,  the  in- 
structor gave  the  signal  for  "single  Hne,"  and 
the  Dorcas  led  the  way  into  the  inlet. 

"Way  enough!"  said  Mollie,  prompted  by 
Prince. 

The  oars  were  tossed  and  boated  as  required. 
The  rest  of  the  fleet  came  into  the  little  bay, 
but  kept  well  off  the  shore. 

"Now,  if  you  will  excuse  Mollie,  and  me  for 
half  an  hour,  we  will  attend  to  the  matter 
which  brought  us  here,"  said  Prince,  as  he 
swung  the  Dorcas  around  till  her  stern-sheet 
were    abreast    a    flat   rock.     "  You    can    row  till 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  335 

we  return ;    and  I  will    hail  you    when    we  are 
ready  to  go  back  to  the  city." 

"  But  we  want  Mollie  to  act  as  leader,"  replied 
Minnie. 

"  You  should  learn  to  pull  without  any  one 
to  steer,"  laughed  Prince  ;  "  and  this  will  be  a 
good  time  for  you  to  make  a  beginning.  When 
there  is  no  coxswain  in  the  boat,  she  is  under 
the  command  of  the  one  at  the  stroke  oar." 

"  We  wdll  try  it,"  added  Minnie,  though  she 
could  not  help  wondering  why  Prince  wante(i 
Mollie  to  go  on  shore  with  him. 

Prince  assisted  the  leader  to  the  rock,  and 
they  walked  away  from  the  shore  together.  The 
boats  pulled  out  of  the  cove,  and  the  crew  of 
the  Dorcas  proceeded  to  experiment  in  rowing 
without  tlie  use  of  the  rudder.  Mollie  was  not 
less  astonished  than  her  friends  had  been  at  the 
invitation  to  land,  though  she  surmised  the 
meaning  of  it. 

"Where  are  we  going.  Prince?"  she   asked. 

"To  see  your  father,"  he  replied,  "and  to 
take  him  back  to  the  city.  He  is  the  passenger 
of  whom  I  spoke." 

"Arc  you  sure  it  is  safe  for  him  to  return?" 
added  Mollie,  with  emotion. 


33€  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"It  is  quite  safe.  lie  can  take  his  place  in 
the  bank  again  to-day,  if  he  chooses." 

Prince  led  the  way  to  the  house  of  Simon 
Potter ;  but  that  vigilant  sentinel  presented  him- 
self before  them,  to  intercept  their  progress, 
when  they  had  accomplished  but  half  the  d'm- 
tance. 

"  It  is  all  right,  Simon  Potter,"  said  Prince. 
*'  This  is  Mr.  Longimore's  daughter,  and  he 
will  be  glad  enough  to  see  her." 

"But  —  " 

' '  No  butting  is  necessary.  I  want  the  cashier 
to  go  back  with  me,  and  take  his  place  in  the 
bank,"  interposed  the  enthusiastic  messenger. 

"  This  is  some  trick,"  suggested  Simon  Pot- 
ter. 

"No  it  isn't." 

"  You  ain't  nothin'  but  a  boy,  and  'taint  very 
diffikilt  to  cheat  one  like  you." 

"  In  one  word  then,  the  bonds  have  come  to 
light,  and  I  have  a  letter  from  the  president  of 
the  bank  to  Mr.  Longimore.  I  know  it's  all 
right." 

"I'm  glad  on't." 

"  Let  us  see  the  cashier  as  quick  as  you  can." 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  337 

Simon  Potter  led  the  way  to  the  little  barn 
adjoining  his  honse.  It  contained  a  cow-stable, 
and  a  mow,  which  had,  perhaps  a  ton  of  hay 
on  it.  But  the  cashier  did  not  appear  to  bo 
within  the  building. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  !  "  said  the  strange  man. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  asked  Prince,  his  curiosity 
somewhat  excited. 

"  He  ain't  fur  off,"  replied  Simon  Potter, 
repeating  the  cashier's  name  twice  more. 

When  he  had  pronounced  it  the  third  time, 
there  was  a  movement  in  the  hay  in  the  mow, 
and  Mr.  Longimore  crawled  out  from  the  mass, 
apparently  from  under  the  weight  of  the  whole 
of  it. 

"  MoUie  !  my  daughter  !  "  exclaimed  he,  fold- 
ing her  in  his  arms,  while  the  tears  coursed 
down  his  pale,  sunken  cheeks. 

"  O,  father  !  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you  again !  " 
and  she  wept  with  him. 

For  some  time  they  remained  weeping  and 
sobbing  in  each  other's  embrace.  The  cashier 
trembled  with  emotion,  for  he  had  not  expected 
to  see  his  daughter  so  soon,  and  in  that  place. 

"I  don't  exactly  see  how  he  could  live  under 


338  THE   DOECAS   CLTTB. 

all  that  bay,"  said  Prince,  leaving  the  father  and 
daughter  to  themselves  for  a  time. 

"  Yon  needn't  tell  nobody  ou't,"  replied 
Simon  Potter.  "  I  made  that  place  for  myself  ; 
l)ut  I  never  happened  to  want  it  for  notbin'. 
Folks  don't  bother  me  much." 

The  strange  man  took  the  fork  and  removed 
a  portion  of  the  loose  hay  on  the  edge  of  the 
mow,  and  a  hole  appeared.  To  satisfy  himself, 
Prince  crawled  into  it  and  found  quite  an  apart- 
ment there.  It  had  been  made  by  laying  the 
liay  on  each  side  of  it,  and  then  placing  some 
rails  across  it,  on  Avbich  more  hay  had  been 
piled  up,  till  the  sticks  were  entirely  concealed. 
Light  and  air  could  be  obtained  at  the  rear  of 
the  den,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  occupant.  Prince 
thought  it  was  a  nice   place. 

It  was  said  that  when  people  called  to  see 
Simon  Potter,  he  could  seldom  be  found,  either 
within  his  house  or  on  his  farm.  Sometimes,  if 
the  visitor  called  out  his  business  aloud,  the 
strange  man  Avould  mysteriously  make  his  ap- 
pearance, though  a  moment  before  nothing  could 
be  found  of  him.  The  young  man  concluded 
that  he  often  hid  himself   in    this    den  to    avoid 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  339 

meeting  visitors.  And  I  wish  to  add  that  this 
incident  is  not  "  made  out  of  whole  cloth,"  for 
such  a  person  actually  existed  not  far  from  the 
locality  indicated. 

"  Why  are  you  here,  MoUie  ? "  asked  Mr. 
Longimore,  choking  with  emotion,  when  Prince 
crawled  out  of  the  den. 

"  I  brought  her  here,  sir  ;  and  you  need  not 
give  yourself  another  moment  of  uneasiness." 

"  Hadn't  you  better  go  into  the  house  ? " 
suggested  Simon  Potter,  leading  the  way. 

"Does  any  one  know  that  she  came  here — • 
any  one  but  her  mother?"  asked  the  cashier, 
when  they  were  seated. 

"  Yes  ;  twenty  girls  know  it ;  but  it  makes 
no  difference,"  answered  Prince.  "  You  are  to 
return  to  the  city  with  Mollie,  and  take  your 
place  in  the  bank  again,  at  once." 

"  You  cannot  mean  that,  Prince  !  "  added  Mr. 
Longimore,  with  a  rather  vacant  expression. 

"  Don't  keep  him  in  suspense  a  single  moment, 
Prince,"  pleaded  Mollie. 

"I  will  not.  —  The  bonds  were  not  burned, 
and  they  are  safe  in  the  bank  vault  at  this 
moment,  added  Prince." 


340  THE   DORCAS    CLUK. 

"Not  burned!     In  the  vault!" 

"  Precisely  so,  sir.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  my 
uncle  is  a  bigger  villain  than  I  ever  supposed 
him  to  be.  To  make  a  short  story  of  it,  though 
nothing  is  to  be  said  about  it  in  public  just  yet, 
uncle  Fox  must  have  taken  the  bonds  from  the 
bank  on  purpose." 

"I  have  thought  of  that,"  interposed  the 
cashier.  "  In  my  dungeon  under  the  hay  I  could 
do  nothing  but  think ;  and  every  incident  of 
that  eventful  night  has  passed  through  my  mind 
a  hundred  times.  Why  your  uncle  wished  to 
show  me.  on  that  particular  evening,  where  he 
kept  his  valuable  papers,  has  often  been  a 
question  with  me.  Mr.  Bushwell  has  often  been 
in  the  bank  with  me,  after  it  was  closed  to  the 
public,  when  he  wished  me  to  do  some  business 
for  him.  I  had  the  impression  very  strong  on 
my  mind  that  I  put  the  bonds  back  into  the 
tin  case.  When  I  left  him  to  get  the  blank 
checks  he  wanted,  he  must  have  changed  the 
packages." 

"The  bonds  were* not  burned.  What  you 
said  to  me  the  other  night  gave  me  an  idea, 
which  enabled    me    to  look  in    the    right    place 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  341 

for  them,"  added  Prince,  proceeding  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  hole  in  the  chimney,  in  detail. 

"•  I  am  sorry  for  your  uncle.  He  set  his  house 
on  fire  to  make  it  appear  that  the  bonds  were 
burned.  How  weak  I  was  to  flee,  when,  if  I 
had  remained,  the  truth  might  have  been  dis- 
covered earlier!" 

"Perhaps  not:  we  don't  know,"  said  Prince. 
"  Uncle  Fox,  as  it  was,  believed  that  no  living- 
being  but  himself  knew  anything  about  the 
bonds.  If  you  had  not  left,  and  if  people  had 
not  thought  you  were  dead,  he  might  have 
watched  them  better.  But  it's  no  use  to  talk 
about  it  now.  Not  a  word  is  to  be  said  to  any 
one  about  the  bonds." 

"  I  shall  not  speak  of  them,"  replied  the  cash- 
ier ;  "  though  I  shall  be  glad  when  the  whole 
truth  is  known  to  everybody." 

"  Here  is  a  letter  for  you,  Mr.  Longimore," 
added  Prince,  handing  him  the  missive.  "  There 
is  no  bad  news  in  it,  or  anything  else  that  is 
bad." 

With  trembling  hands  the  cashier  tore  open 
the  cnvelo[)e.  The  check  dropped  upon  the  floor 
as  ho  did  so,  and  Mollie  picked  it  up. 


342  Tlli:    D  )11CAS    CLUB. 

"  The  directors  are  very  kind  to  me  ;  more  so 
than  I  deserve,"  said  the  cashier,  with  tears  in 
his  eyes.  "  They  invite  me  to  return  to  ni}' 
pkice  without  any  dehiy.  They  have  raised  my 
salary,  and  made  me  a  present  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred doUars." 

"  We  shall  he  happy  again,  father  !  "  sobbed 
Mollie.  "  I  knew  you  could  not  do  anything 
wrong." 

"  But  I  have  done  wrong,  my  child.  It  Avas 
weak  and  cowardly  for  me  to  run  away  when 
the  shadow  of  peril  darkened  my  path;  but  I 
was  beside  myself;  I  lost  my  wits.  The  bonds 
were  gone,  and  I  was  crazy." 

"It  is  all  right  now,  Mr.  Longimore,"  inter- 
posed Prince.  "  We  will  not  think  any  more 
about  it.  How  did  you  get  away  without  being 
seen  by  any  one  ?  " 

"  It  was  very  early  in  the  morning,  and  I  saw 
no  one  stirring,"  replied  the  cashier.  "  I  had 
no  thought  but  of  ending  my  life  ;  and  I  took  a 
boat  at  one  of  the  wharves.  I  rowed  out  into 
the  bay,  intending  to  find  rest  from  my  anguish 
in  a  grave  at  the  bottom  of  the  deep  waters  of 
the  bay.     I  thought  only  of  my  wife  and  child- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  343 

ren.  I  could  not  bear  to  think  of  going  lience 
without  a  word  to  them.  I  wanted  to  tell  them 
I  was  innocent  of  any  crime.  I  felt  that  I  could 
die  in  peace,  if  I  could  only  tell  them  the  truth. 
1  pulled  along  the  shore,  and  came  to  Simon 
Potter's  house.  He  was  the  good  Samaritan  to 
me  :  he  saved  me." 

The  cashier  grasped  the  hand  of  the  strange 
man,  who  looked  as  solemn  as  an  owl  all  the 
while,  unwilling  to  admit,  even  by  a  smile,  that 
he  had  anything  like  feeling   in  his  composition. 

"But  where  is  the  boat?"  asked  Prince. 

"  Tain't  fur  off.  I  took  care  on't,"  answered 
Simon  Potter. 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  steal  that  boat,  any  more 
than  1  did  the  bonds,"  said  the  cashier. 

"  The  boat's  out  of  sight,  under  water  ;  but 
she  shall  be  returned  in  good  order,"  added  the 
recluse.  I  sunk  her  to  keep  her  from  telliu' 
any  tales  out  o'school.  FU  git  her  up  at  low 
tide  to-day." 

"  Glad  as  I  am  to  go  home,  Simon  Potter,  I 
don't  like  to  leave  you  here,"  continued  Mr. 
Longimore,  taking  the  unwilling  hand  of  his 
host  again.  "  You  have  been  more  than  a 
brof.h(n'  to   mo." 


344  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  No,  I  hain't.  When  folks  turned  agin  you, 
and  hunted  you  down,  and  every  man's  finger 
was  turned  onto  you,  I  had  a  feller-feelin'  for 
you.     Besides  you  never  laughed  at  me. 

"  I  don't  like  to  leave  you  here  alone,  Simon 
Potter.  Make  my  house  your  home.  You  shall 
be  cherished  and  cared  for  in  sickness  and 
health,"  continued  Mr.  Longimore. 

"  No ;  I  shall  stay  here's  long's  as  I  stay  any- 
where. I  don't  want  to  see  nobod}^  nor  nothiu', 
unless  it's  a  feller  critter  cast  out  and  trod 
under  foot  of  other  men.  Then  I'm  willin'  to 
do  sumthin'  fur  him.  Good  by,  Mr.  Longi- 
more," 

Simon  Potter  shook  hands  with  the  cashier ; 
but  when  Mollie,  expressing  her  thanks,  at- 
tempted to  do  so,  he  dodged  her ;  and  the  little 
party  withdrew. 

"He  has  a  good  heart,  and  it's  a  pity  he 
should  be  so  odd,"  said  the  cashier,  as  they 
walked  down  to  the  mouth  <^  the  river.  "  But 
I  suppose  he  is  happier  here  all  alone  than  he 
would  be  any  Avhere  else." 

On  the  shore.  Prince  hailed  the  fleet,  and,  in 
a  single  line,  the  boats  came  into  the  cove, 
bringing  their  stems  up  to  the  flat  rock. 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  345 

"  Why,  Mr.  Longimore  !  "  exclaimed  Minnie 
Darling,  Avho  was  the  first  to  recognize  him. 

"  Mr.  Longimore  !  "  cried  a  dozen  others. 

"  He  is  your  pacsenger,  Minnie  ;  for  he  Avill 
wish  to  go  in  tho  boat  with  Mollie,"  said 
Prince, 

"But  Avhero  has  he  been?"  demanded  Nellie. 
"  We  thought  he  was  dead." 

"  He  has  been  down  here  for  a  few  days, 
taking  the  country  air,"  laughed  Prince.  "  Ho 
is  not  dead,  and  he  will  return  to  the  bank  at 
once.  I  Avant  to  assure  you  that  all  the  direc- 
tors believe  him  to  be  an  honest  upright  and 
true  man  —  as  everybody  will  believe,  when  the 
whole  truth  comes  out.  Back  out,  Dorcas,  and 
come  about.     Mollie,  you  can  give  the    signals." 

Mr.  Longimore  was  already  seated  in  the 
Dorcas,  and  she  was  hauled  out  from  the  shore. 
Mollie  gave  the  orders,  which  set  the  rowers  at 
work,  very  much  to  the  astonishment  of  her 
father. 

"  I  v/ill  take  a  seat  in  the  Undine,  if  you 
please,"  said  Prince. 

''  You  are  welcome,  Professor  Willingood," 
r:-i)lie(l  Su:.ie    Thaxter. 


346  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

In  a  few  moments  all  the  boats  were  in  line, 
the  Dorcas  leading  the  way.  The  rowing  was 
simply  beautifnl,  the  movements  of  the  fair 
rowists  being  grace  itself.  Presentlj^  Mollij 
elevated  the  signal,  and  with  two  motions  to 
the  left,  brought  the  boats  into  pairs ;  and  the 
order  was  kept  in  the  most  perfect  manner. 
Again  the  signal  "by  fours"  was  given,  and 
the  four  boats  moved  on  abreast  of  each  other. 
People  ran  to  the  shore  to  look  at  the  pretty 
sight ;  and  the  praise  bestowed  upon  the  fair 
rowists  was  as  hearty  as  it  was  general. 

As  the  fleet  approached  the  landing  place, 
the  signal  "by  twos"  was  given,  and  then  "in 
single  line."  One  by  one  the  boats  came  in, 
and  the  members  of  the  club  all  went  on    shore. 

Attended  by  Mollie  and  Prince,  Mr.  Longi- 
more  hastened  to  his  house,  where  the  cashier 
pressed  his  wife  and  little  ones  to  his  heart,  the 
great  tears  all  the  while  streaming  down  his 
fjrrowed  cheeks.  From  his  house  he  went  to 
the  bank,  where  he  was  cordially  greeted  by  all 
the  directors,  who  had  been  waiting  his  arrival. 
The  bonds  were  in  the  vault,  and  he  was  treated 
more  like  a  general    returning  in    triumph    from 


THE   DOKCAS   CLUB.  347 

the  conquest,  than  one  who  had  fled  in  dismay 
and  terror  from  his  post  of  duty.  He  told  his 
story  over  again,  but  it  did  not  vary  from  that 
related  by  Prince.  He  drew  the  check  presented 
to  him  by  the  directors ;  and  when  told  what 
the  Dorcas  Society  had  done  for  his  family,  he 
liastened  to  return  the  two  hundred  dollars, 
loaned  to  his  wife,  to  Nelhe  Patterdale,  the 
treasurer.  The  result  of  this  payment  was,  that 
Don  John  at  once  received  an  order  to  build 
another  boat  for  the  Dorcas  Club,  so  that  all 
our  girls  could  be  afloat  at  the  same  time. 

Mr.  Longimore  paid  the  note  he  had  given 
Fox  Bushwell,  a  few  days  later,  and  Prince 
returned  him  the  bill  of  sale.  Simon  Potter 
sent  the  boat  in  which  the  cashier  had  escaped 
back  to  the  city,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the 
owner. 


848  THE   DOECAS   CLUB. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE   TRUTH   WILL   COME   OUT. 

ON  the  day  Mr.  Longimore  returned  from 
his  exile  in  the  Northport  woods,  Fox 
Bushwell  went  to  a  town  twelve  miles  from  tlie 
city,  to  look  after  a  delinquent  debtor,  who  had 
failed  to  j)a3^  his  interest.  He  canied  the  note 
and  mortgage  in  his  pocket,  intending  to  take 
possession  of  the  property  if  the  money  was  not 
paid.  The  debtor  had  promised  to  pay  the  in- 
terest in  the  city  when  it  was  due ;  and  it  was 
now  a  week  after  the  time.  Fox  Bushwell  was 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  pleasures  and  bene- 
fits of  pedestrianism.  No  livery  stable  keeper, 
no  hack  driver,  no  stage  proprietor  could  draw 
a  dollar  from  his  pocket  for  a  ride  —  walking 
v/as  more  healthy  and  agreeable.  It  was  de- 
lightful, in  the  spring  time,  to  tramp  over  the 
country  roads,  inhaling  the  freshness  of  the  pure 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  349 

air,  and  gazing  upon  the  beauties  of  Nature.  It 
cost  nothing. 

The  money-lender  went  on  foot  to  the  town 
twelve  miles  distant,  and  found  his  debtor  sick 
abed ;  but  he  had  the  money  in  the  house  to 
pay  his  interest,  and  he  paid  it.  The  creditor 
made  nothing  by  his  journey  but  his  dinner. 
The  debtor  would  have  sent  his  son  to  drive 
hira  back  to  the  city,  but   the  horse  was  lame. 

Fox  Bushwell  was  very  tired  when  he  reached 
his  destination,  and  in  no  condition  to  expatiate 
upon  the  delights  of  pedestrianism,  especially  in 
its  application  to  an  elderly  man  who  starved 
himself  on  herring,  salt  fish,  and  baked  beans. 
He  rested  till  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  and 
then  walked  home.  Twenty-four  miles  in  one 
day  was  too  much  for  liim ;  and,  besides  the 
v/eariness  of  the  delightful  tramp,  he  had  taken 
a  severe  cold,  by  overheating  himself,  and  then 
sitting  down  in  a  cold,  damp  place  by  the  road- 
side. He  was  utterly  exhausted  when  he  reached 
Ills  house,  late  in  the  evening.  In  the  night  he 
was  sick,  and  Mrs.  Pining  Avas  kept  up  half  the 
ni ;;ht  with  him.  Prince  wanted  to  call  in  a 
doctor  ;  but  this  was  a  piece  of  extravagance  to 
which  the  money-lender  would  not  submit. 


050  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  Doctors  don't  do  no  good  in  this  sufferin', 
dyin'  world,  and  cost  heaps  of  money,"  moaned 
tlie  widow.  "  I  guess  I  can  git  him  into  a 
sweat,  and  then  he'll  feel  better." 

Mrs.  Pining  did  succeed  in  starting  a  perspir- 
ation on  the  shrivelled  skin  of  her  patient,  and 
he  went  to  sleep.  In  the  morning  he  was  bet- 
ter, but  in  a  very  feeble  condition.  The  insur- 
ance business  was  to  be  settled  that  day  ;  and 
when  the  old  man  spoke  of  going  to  the  office 
of  the  compan}^  the  housekeeper  protested. 

"  Sufferin'  you  be,  and  dyin'  you  want  to  be, 
if  you  think  of  goin'  out  arter  such  a  sweat  as 
I  gin  you  last  night,"  said  Mrs.  Pining. 

"  I  don't  feel  able  to  go,  but  I  must.  I  want 
to  git  that  insurance,  so  I  can  pay  you,"  whined 
the  money-lender. 

The  widow  thought  it  was  quite  proper  to 
get  the  insurance,  and  pay  her;  so,  having  pro- 
tested in  due  form,  she  offered  no  further  oppo- 
i-ition  to  the  will  of  her  employer.  Fox  Bush- 
vv'ell  went  to  the  insurance  office ;  he  walked 
with  a  slow  step  and  painful,  leaning  heavily  on 
liis  cane.  When  he  arrived  at  his  destination 
he    was   very   much   astonished   to    see   so    many 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  351 

people  in  the  room,  for  his  late  return  Svom  his 
pedestrian  tour  had  prevented  him  from  hear- 
ing any  of  the  current  news  of  the  da}'.  No- 
hody  ever  went  to  the  miser's  house  except  on 
business  ;  and  even  Mrs.  Pining  had  not  heard 
of  the  return  of  the  cashier.  Though  Prince 
knew  all  about  it,  he  did  not  care  to  tell  the 
news  at  home ;  and  thus  it  fell  out  that  Fox 
P)ushwell,  in  giving  himself  up  to  the  enjoyment 
of  his  long  walk,  with  the  pure  air  and  the 
beauties  of  Nature,  failed  to  be  in  possession  of 
a  piece  of  intelligence  which  might  have  changctl 
]iis  whole  course  of  action.  In  a  word,  he  did 
not  know  that  Mr.  Longimore  had  come  back 
and  resumed  his  place  in  the  bank ;  if  he  had 
known  it,  doubtless  his  answers  to  the  questions 
put  to  him  by  Mr.  Doane  would  have  been  en- 
tirely different,  and,  possibly,  utterly  inconsistent 
with  what  he  had  before  declared  to  be  the 
truth. 

"  I  am  sick  this  morning,  Mr.  Doane,"  moaned 
the  money-lender,  as  he  entered  the  well-fdled 
room.  "  I  had  a  bad  turn  last  night,  and  I'm 
not  fit  to  be  here  to-day.  It  is  high  time  that 
insurance  money  was  paid." 


^52  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"  Take  a  chair,  Mr.  Bushwell.  I  have  no 
doubt  we  shall  be  able  to  settle  the  matter  in 
some  way,  this  time,"  replied  Mr.  Doane. 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  to  pay  me  the  money 
—  don't  you?  I  can't  afford  to  lose  it.  I'm  a 
poor  man,  and  the  loss  comes  hard  on  me." 

"  I  wish  to  ask  you  some  questions,  Mr.  Bush- 
well,"  added  the  president  of  the  bank,  who 
held  the  same  office  in  the  insurance  company. 

"  I  think  you  have  asked  me  about  questions 
enough,"  groaned  Fox  Bushwell. 

"It  does  not  look  Hke  a  clear  case  yet,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Doane.  •"  Did  you  see  Mr.  Longi- 
more  on  the  evening  before  your  house  was 
burned  ?  " 

"  I  did.  I  told  you  that  before.  I've  said  so 
twenty  times,"  answered  the  money-lender,  petu- 
lantly.    "I  lent  him  some  money,  and — " 

"  Very  well,"  interposed  the  president.  "After 
you  had  jBnished  the  business  connected  with 
the  loan,  what  occurred  that  eveniftg?" 

"Nothing,  that  I  know  of." 

"Did  Mr.  Longimore  leave  your  house  as 
soon  as  the  papers  were  signed  and  witnessed  ?  " 

"  Why  yes  ;  of  course  he  did.  He  didn't  stay 
there  all  night,"  whined  the  miser. 


THE    DOliCAS    CLUB.  353 

"  Did  you  go  down  cellar  after  the  business 
was  finished  ?  " 

"  I  did.     I've  said  so  twenty  times." 

"  Did  Mr.  Longimore  go  down  cellar  with 
you?" 

Fox  Bushwell  was  startled,  and  the  cold  sweat 
stood  on  his  forehead.  It  might  have  been 
weakness ;  it  might  have  been  something  else. 
Why  did  Mr.  Doane  ask  that  question,  which 
he  had  not  put  before? 

"  Did  Mr.  Longimore  go  down  cellar  with 
me  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"That's  the  question  I  asked.  Will  you  be 
kind  enough  to  answer  it  ?  " 

"  What  should  he  go  down  cellar  with  me 
for  ?  " 

"  That  does  not  answer  my  question." 

"  Of  course  he  didn't  go  down  cellar  with 
me,"  replied  Fox  Bushwell,  desperately. 

"He  did  not?" 

"I  say  he  did  not.     What  business  —  " 

"  Never  mind  the  reasons,  Mr.  Bushwell.  All 
we  want  is  the  facts.  Mr.  Longimore  did  not 
go  into  the  cellar  with  you  ?  " 

"  No,  he  did  not.  You  talk  to  me  just  as  '^ 
23 


354  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

you  thought  I  was  lying.     Let  me    remind    you 
that  I'm  a  clergyman." 

Fox  BushAvell  tried  to  stand  upon  his  dig- 
nity ;  but  just  then  he  had  none  to  stand 
upon. 

"Where  did  you  keep  your  valuable  papers 
when  you  lived  in  the  house  that  was  burned, 
IMr.  Bushwell?"  asked  the  president. 

"  In  my  secretary  most  of  them,"  replied  the 
old  man,  wondering  why  that  question  was 
asked. 

"Did  you  keep  any  of  them  in  your  cellar?" 
said  Mr.  Doane,  sharply. 

"Well,  yes;  I  kept  some  of  them  in  the  cel- 
lar," stammered  the  money-lender. 

"In  a  brass  kettle,  hidden  in  the  wall  —  did 
you  not  ?  " 

"Some  of  them,"  gasped  Fox  Bushwell;  and 
it  was  plain  enough  to  him,  by  this  time,  that 
somebody  had  been  prying  into  his  affairs. 

"  Did  you  show  Mr.  Longimore  where  you 
kept  the  papers  ?  " 

"  No,  I  didn't.  I  didn't  show  anybody  where 
I  kept  them." 

"Very  well,  IMr.    Bushwell;  that  will    do    on 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  3^5 

that  point,"  added  the  president.  "  What  time 
did  you  go  to  bed  on  the  night  of  the  fire  ?  " 

"About  half  past  ten,  as  I  told  you." 

"  Wasn't  it  later  than  that  ?  " 

"No;  I  don't  think  it  was." 

"  Wasn't  it   twelve  ?  " 

"No  ;  nor  eleven." 

"Very  well,  Mr.  Bushwelh  Now,  when  you 
saw  Mr.  Longimore  that  morning  after  the  fire, 
did  he  say  anything  about  the  bonds  that  were 
lost?" 

"What  has  that  to  do  with  my    insurance?" 

"  I  think  a  connection  between  the  fire  and 
the  bonds  can  be  shown.  I  Avill  thank  you  to 
'answer  the  question." 

"  I've  told  you  twenty  times  what  passed 
between  Mr.  Longimore  and  me.  I  haven't 
anything  different  to  say.  I'm  a  clergyman,  and 
I  think  what  I  say  ought  to  be  believed," 
moaned  the  money-lender. 

"Do  you  say  that  Mr.  Longimore  did  not 
mention  the  bonds  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  do  say  so.  " 

"I  hope  you  will  consider  the  matter  well, 
Ml-.    Bushwell,"    added    the      president.      "You 


356  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

may  be  called  upon  to  testify  in  court  on  this 
subject." 

"  I'm  a  clergyman,  and  my  word  ought  to  be 
as  good  as  my  oath." 

"  It  ought  to  be ;  but  it  is  not.  I  know  you 
were  a  clergyman  once ;  but  you  are  not  an 
honor  to  the  cloth ;  and  it  was  well  for  the 
profession  that  you  left  it,"  said  Mr.  Doane, 
severely. 

"I'm  a  poor  sick  man  and  I  don't  think  it's 
right  for  you  to  insult  me." 

"  Though  you  do  not  speak  the  truth,  Mr. 
Bush  well,  I  purpose  to  do  so.  The  insurance 
company  will  formally  refuse  to  pay  your  claim 
for  loss." 

"  Refuse  to  pay  !  "  gasped  Fox  Bush  well ;  and 
to  him  this  was  certainly  "  the  most  unkindest 
cut  of  all."  "  I  didn't  think  that  of  you.  I 
paid  the  premium,  and  now  you  want  to  cheat 
me  out  of  my  money." 

"You  cheated  yourself  out  of  it,"  replied  Mr. 
Doane. 

"I'm  a  poor  man,  and  I  can't  afford  to  beax 
thi.5  loss."  groaned  Fox  Bushwell,  rising  slowly 
from  his  arm-chair,  under  tlje  excitement  of  the 
unexpected  decision  against  him. 


THE    DORCAS    CI.UB.  357 

"  Mr.  Bin^iliwcli,  the  directors  are  satisfied  that 
you  set  your  lie  use  on  fire  yourself." 

"I!  Wh}-,  Mr.  Doanc  I  How  could  3'ou  think 
such  a  thing  of  me  —  of  me,  a  clergyman?" 

"I  Avill  state  the  facts  to  you,  as  we  undcr- 
sland  them  ;  and  then,  if  you  wish  for  the  evi- 
dence, you  shall  have  it,"  continued  the  presi- 
dent. '"  After  Mr.  Longimore  had  given  you 
your  package  of  private  papers  in  the  bank,  you 
exchanged  it  for  the  bundle  of  bonds.  ]n  the 
cellar  of  your  honse,  you  took  pains  to  show 
the  cashier  where  you  kept  your  valual)le  papers, 
and  placed  the  package,  which  he  supposed  to 
be  your  own  pa[)ers, —  but  which  you  knew  to 
be  tlie  bonds, —  iu  tliat  brass  kettle.  After  the 
fire,  you  visited  the  cellar,  and  satisfied  him  that 
your  papers  had  all  been  burned.  Very  early 
in  the  morning  the  cashier  found  your  private 
j)apers  in  the  bank,  and  it  appeared  to  him  then 
that  the  bonds  had  been  destroyed,  instead  of 
the  bundle  belonging  to  you.  He  went  to  you, 
and  demanded  the  bonds  at  daylight ;  and  you 
(satisfied  him  that  they  had  been  burned.  In  an 
agony  of  grief  and  terror,  Mr.  Longimore  fled. 
Thij  is  the  truth." 


858  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

"Not  one  word  of  it  is  ture!"  cried  Fox 
Busliwell,  trembling  in  every  fibre  of  his  frame. 
"  I  haven't  seen  the  bonds.  I  don't  know  any- 
thing about  them." 

"  You  want  the  proof,  and  you  shall  have  it," 
repUed     Mr.    Doane.       "  Send    for    Mr.    Longi- 


more 


"Mr.  Longimorel"  gasped  the  money-lender, 
sinking  back  into  his  chair. 

But  he  realized  that  he  was  losing  his  own 
case  by  his  emotion,  and  he  struggled  to  re- 
cover his  self-possession. 

"  The  cashier  stole  the  bonds !  He  has  made 
up  this  story  to  clear  himself,"  groaned  the 
wretch. 

Fox  Bushwell  was  utterly  confounded,  for  the 
moment,  when  he  saw  the  cashier  enter  the 
room.  Mr.  Longimore  told  his  story  precisely 
as  the  president  had  related  it. 

"He  stole  the  bonds  himself!"  howled  the 
money-lender.  "  He  owes  me  money,  and  he 
wants  to  ruin  me.  Didn't  he  run  away  ?  Don't 
that  prove  it?  Will  you  take  his  word  against 
a  clergyman's  ?  " 

"  Mr.    Bushwell,    if    you    put    the   bonds   into 


THE   DORCAS   CLUB.  3^9 

that  brass  kettle  in  your  cellar,  we  are  umlcr 
obligations  to  you  for  rem  )ving  them  before  you 
set  the  house  on  fire,"  continued  the  president. 
"  By  this  act  of  forethought  on  your  part  they 
were  saved  from  the  fire.     Here  thej^  are." 

Mr.  Doane  tossed  the  package  on  the  long- 
table  in  front  of  the  money-lender.  If  Fcx 
Bush  well  was  confounded  before,  he  was  over- 
whelmed now.  He  was  a  pitiable  spectacle  as 
he  reclined  in  the  arm-chair,  shaking  like  one 
affected  with  palsy,  and  groaning  like  one  in 
the  agonies  of  a  violent  distemper.  His  malady 
was  Sin,  finding  him  out ;  but  it  was  aggravated 
by  the  illness  under  which  he  was  suffering.  No 
one  spoke  for  a  long  time ;  and  after  a  while 
the  sufferer  recovered  in  a  measure. 

"  This  bundle  of  bonds  was  found  in  the  house 
where  you  are  living  now,  concealed  in  the  arch, 
under  the  chimney,  where  you  had  walled  them 
into  the  brick-work.  This  fact  completes  the 
evidence.  It  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  prove 
the  case,  though  more  can  be  produced,"  said 
the  president. 

Fox  Bushwell  fainted  away  then,  exhausted 
by  the  excitement   in  his   feeble  condition.      He 


260  THE   DORCAS   CLUB. 

did  not  ask  who  had  found  the  bonds,  and  the 
president  was  considerate  enough  not  to  men- 
tion the  name  of  Prince.  The  money-lender 
reahzed  that  the  evidence  was  complete.  There 
was  nothing  on  which  he  could  hang  a  single 
hope  ;  and  with  the  conviction  of  the  truth  came 
the  loss  of  his  senses.  Dr.  Darling,  who  was 
one  of  the  directors,  hastened  to  his  assistance  ; 
and  when  he  was  partially  restored  he  was  con- 
veyed in  a  carriage  to  his  home. 

"Sufferin',  dyin'  world!"  groaned  Mrs.  Pin- 
ing, when  the  old  man  was  brought  into  the 
house.  "  I  knowed  jest  how  'twould  be !  I 
warned  him ;  but  he  wouldn't  hear  to  nothin'  I 
said.     We  are  all  lost  creeturs  ! " 

Prince  assisted  at  the  bedside  of  his  uncle,  and 
did  all  he  could  to  assuage  his  moral  and  physi- 
cal sufferings  ;  but  the  patient  grew  worse  every 
hour.  His  sickness  saved  him  from  arrest  as  an 
incendiary  the  next  day  ;  but  Fox  Bushwell  was 
in  the  wild  delirium  of  a  fever,  and  knew  nothing 
about  the  visit  of  the  sheriff  to  his  house.  Dr. 
Darling  came  to  him  twice  or  three  times  every 
day.  Prince  and  Mis.  Piuing  divided  the  days 
and  nights  between  tliem,  at   his  bedside. 


THE   DOECAS    CLUB.  861 

In  a  week  the  end  came,  and  the  miser  passed 
awaj,  bereft  cf  his  reason,  and  unable  to  take 
leave  of  tlie  money-bags  for  Y^"liich  he  bad  sold 
bis  manhood,  his  honor,  his  own  soul.  Not  many 
followed  him  to  the  gi-ave,  for  he  had  no  rela- 
tives, and  his  life  had  shut  him  out  from  the 
friendships  of  tliis  world. 

Prince  was  more  shocked  than  grieved  at  the 
death  of  his  uncle.  His  cheerless  home  Avas 
more  gloomy  than  ever,  ,for  the  memory  of  evil 
deeds  seemed  to  hang  heavy  about  it.  On  the 
evening  after  the  funeral  he  called  upon  the 
Ijongimores.  They  did  not  attempt  to  console 
him,  but  they  spoke  not  unkindly  of  the  dead. 

'■''  This  event  Avill  make  a  great  change  in 
your  way  of  life,  Prince,'*  said  the  cashier. 
'•'  At  your  age,  you  can  nominate  your  own 
guardian,  and  if*  he  is  a  proper  person,  the 
court  will  appoint  him.  I  was  thinking  of  the 
matter,  and  I  was  going  to  suggest  the  name 
of—" 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  thinking  of 
me,  Mr.  Longimore,"  interposed  Prince;  "but 
I  have  my  mind  about  made  up." 

"  O,    yuu    have  I       AVell,    of    course    I    don't 


362  THE    DORCAS    Cl.TJB. 

wish  to  influence  you ;  but  I  was  ofoin'^  to 
mention  the  name  of  ]Mr.  Doane,"  added  Mr. 
Longimore. 

"I  should  hke  to  hve  in  the  family  of  my 
guardian,  if  he  suits  me  ;  and  Mr.  D-xxne  is  a 
rich  man  ;  he  would  not  want  me  as  a  boarder." 

"■  You  can  board  where  you  please." 

"  If  I  can,  I  should  prefer  to  board  with  you  ; 
and,  to  make  the  matter  easier,  I  intend  to 
name  j'ou  as  my  guardian." 

"Indeed!  I'm  sure  I  never  thought  of  that," 
replied  Mr.  Longimore.  "  1  owe  my  very  life 
and  reputation  to  you,  Prince,  as  well  as  tha 
happiness  of  my  family ;  and  1  assure  you  [ 
shall  do  all  I  can  to  serve  you.  I  only  desire 
that  you  may  grow  up  a  true  and  useful  man  , 
that  your  aims  and  impulses  may  always  be  as 
high  as  they  are  now." 

Nothing  more  was  said  about  the  matter  at 
that  time  ;  but  at  the  next  session  of  the  Pro- 
bate Court,  the  cashier  was  nominated  and 
appointed  the  guardian  of  Prince.  He  was  aftei'- 
wards  ap})ointed  administrator  of  the  estate  of 
Fox  Bush  well,  of  which  the  nephew  was  the 
s(/ie  heir,  so  that  it  was  not    necessary  to    scpa- 


THE    DORCAS    CLUB.  363 

rate  the  two  estates,  which  it  was  found,  would 
have  been  a  very  difficult  job. 

To  the  great  astonishment  of  the  cashier,  he 
found  that  he  had  the  care  of  about  a  hundred 
thousand  dollars  all  of  which  was  invested  at 
high  rates  of  interest. 

"  Prince  you  can  afford  to  live  at  the  best 
hotel  in  the  city  ;  and  I  should  feel  justified  in 
paying  your  board  there,"  said  the  guardian. 

"  If  3^ou  will  let  me  board  in  your  family,  I 
shall  be  better  satisfied,"  replied  the  ward. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  you  in  my 
f.imily." 

This  matter  was  settled,  and  the  young  man 
was  provided  with  a  nice  room.  The  liberality 
of  his  new  guardian  enabled  him  to  stock  it 
with  all  the  liooks  he  wanted  ;  and  Prince  was 
happier  than  he  would  have  been  at  a  first-class 
hotel.  Mollie  Longimore  went  back  to  the  High 
School ;  and  those  pleasant  walks  to  and  from 
the  temple  of  learning  were  resumed,  apparently 
as  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  one  as  the 
other. 

Mrs.  Pining  staid  at  Fox  Bushwell's  house 
till  all  these  arrangements  had  been    completed ; 


r'.Gi  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

then  the  house  was  let  and  the  furniture  sokl. 
The  old  lad}'-  had  been  very  much  troubled  by 
her  relations  to  the  estate  of  her   late  employer. 

"  1  hain't  got  no  note  nor  nothin'  in  this 
sufferin',  dyin'  world,  to  show  that  Fox  Bush- 
well  owed  me  a  cent !  "  said  she,  on  the  day 
after  the  administrator  was  appointed. 

"  You  shall  be  paid,  with  interest,  Mrs.  Pining, 
if  I  have  to  pay  you  myself  after  I  am  of  age," 
replied  Prince.  But  I  am  sure  Mr.  Longimore 
will  do  everything  that  is  right." 

"•  It's  no  more'n  right.  I  hain't  had  no  in- 
terest for  two  years  ;  and  Mr.  Bushwell  owed 
me  forty-eight  dollars." 

"  Did  he  pay  your  wages,  Mrs.  Pining  ? " 
asked  Prince. 

"  Goodness  knows  he  didn't  do  nothin'  o'  the 
sort.  Sufferin',  dyin'  !  I  guess  not !  I  never 
had  nothin'  but  my  board." 

"  If  I  were  you,  I  should  present  a  bill  for 
wages." 

"  Wages  !  "  exclaimed  the  bewildered  relic. 
"  Mr.  Bushwell  never  paid  me  no  wages." 

"  He  ought  to  have  done  so  ;  and  his  admin- 
istrator can  do  so  now.     The    money  will    come 


THE    DORCAS    CLUD.  365 

out  of  me  in  the  end,  as  I  am  the  heir ;  but  I 
shall  not  object." 

"Wal,  now,  I  declare!"  gasped  the  widow. 
"  How  fur  back  can  I  go  ?  " 

"Six  years.  I  don't  think  the  administrator 
can  pay  for  a  longer  time." 

"  That's  long  enough.  I  never  was  so  struck 
up  in  my  life.  Sufferin',  dyin'  I  Six  years  I 
How  many  weeks  are  they  in  that  time,  Prince  ? 
You're  better'n  I  am  at  figgers." 

"  Three  liuiidred  and  twelve." 

"  Airthciuakes  and  applesass  I  If  I  charge  two 
dollars  a  week  will  it  be  too  much?" 

"  No,   no;^  at  all." 

"How  r.mch  will  that    make,  Prince?" 

"  Six  hundred  and  twenty-four  dollars." 

"  We're  all  sufferin'  creeturs ;  and  I  never 
knowed  there  was  so  much  money  in  the  world ! 
Mr.    Longimore    never'll    pay    no    such  wages." 

"I  think  he  will.  Make  out  the  bill,  and 
we  will  try  it,  at  any  rate." 

"  Sufferin',  dyin' !  I  ain't  much  at  readin' 
and  writin'.  " 

"I  will  do  it  for  you." 

"You're  a  good  boy,  arter  all,  Prince"  added 


866  THE    DORCAS    CLUB. 

]^Irs.  Pining,  almost  overwhelmed  b}'  this  sudden 
expectation  of  wealth. 

She  did  not  say  that  her  wages  had  been  the 
hope  that  Fox  Bushwell  would  make  her  his 
wife,  and  thus  insure  her  a  home  to  the  end  of 
her  days.  Prince  thought  it  no  more  than  jus- 
tice that  she  should  be  paid  for  her  service, 
whatever  the  bargain  with  her  employer  had 
been.  She  received  the  full  amount  which  Prince 
suggested,  and  the  principal  and  interest  of  the 
debt.  She  found  another  place  as  housekeeper  ; 
but  miserly  and  half-witted  as  she  was,  she  was 
filled  with  gratitude  to  Prince,  though  she  feared 
that  the  miser  would  rise  from  his  grave  to  re- 
proach her  for  taking  wages  for  her  labor. 

Three  wrecks  later,  Don  John  completed  the 
Fairy,  —  the  fifth  boat  belonging  to  the  Dorcas 
Club,  —  and  it  was  a  happy  day,  when  for  the 
first  time  all  "  our  girls  "  were  afloat  at  the  same 
time.  For  this  occasion  a  picnic  down  the  bay 
had  been  arranged,  and  as  the  day  proved  to  be 
mild  and  pleasant,  the  excursion  was  extended 
over  to  Turtle  Head,  where  the  fleet  of  the 
Yacht   Club   was  at   anchor. 

As  the  little  sc^uadron  approached  Turtle  Head, 


THE   DORCAS    CLUB.  3G7 

two  guns  were  fired  by  Commodore  Montague's 
sloop,  and  all  tlic  yachtmcn  cheered  till  they 
were  hoarse.  A  collation  was  served  to  the  fair 
rowers,  and  eveiybody  seemed  to  be  at  the  high- 
water  of  rejoicing.  In  the  afternoon,  the  first 
race  of  the  season  was  organized,  for  the  girls 
were  by  this  time  competent  to  pull  a  rapid 
stroke  without  injury.  Prince  would  not  j)ermit 
the  race  to  extend  beyond  half  a  mile. 

"  One  —  two —  three  —  go  I  "  shouted  Prince, 
and  every  boat   started  at   the  same  instant. 

For  some  time  they  seemed  to  be  rowing  "by 
fives;"  but  pretty  soon  the  Dorcas  began  to 
forge  ahead,  —  perhaps  because  the  girls  in  it 
were  older  and  stronger.  She  held  this  advan- 
tage to  the  end,  and  came  in  ahead.  The  Un- 
dine was  second,  the  Psyche  third,  the  Lily 
fourth,  and  tlie  Fairy  last.  Then  Commodore 
Montague  declared  that  it  was  a  shame  no  prizes 
had  been  provided,  and  in  a  gallant  speech  he 
presented  the  leader  of  the  winning  boat  a  bou- 
quet  of  sea-weeds,  which  made    a  deal    of   fun. 

During  the  season,  these  excursions  were  often 
repeated,  and  the  enjoyment  of  them  was  all  but 
supreme.     The  phi/siqiie  of  the  girls  was  greatly 


368  THE   DORCAS    CLUB. 

improved,  and  they  were  all  as  brown  and  ruddy 
as  the  daughters  of  the  farmers.  But  our  story 
will  be  finished  when  we  have  said  that  Prince 
was  very  ha[)|\y  in  the  family  of  the  Longimores, 
and  tiiat  they  —  especially  MoUie  were  equally 
happy  in  having  him  as  a  member  of  their  cir- 
cle. Probaljly  the  cashier  will  never  be  any- 
thing but  a  cashier ;  but  he  is  in  very  great 
danger  of  having  an  excellent  3'oung  man,  worth 
about  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  for  a  son- 
in-law,  —  for  Prince  and  Mollie,  as  they  grow 
older,  seem  to  be  of  the  same  mind. 

Simon  Potter  was  found  dead  in  his  lonely  cot- 
tfige  one  day,  by  a  peddler  who  called  to  sell 
him  some  tin  ware.  Among  his  papers  was 
found  a  will,  wliich  made  Mr.  Longimore  and 
his  heirs  his  sole  legatees.  The  estate  yielded 
only  four  thousand  dollars,  but  the  cashier  paid 
off  the  mortgage  on  his  house  with  it,  and  was 
happy  to  *'  owe  no  man  anything." 

The  Dorcas  Society  continued  to  do  its  good 
work  am,ong  the  poor  of  the  city,  blessing  hun- 
dreds by  its  labors  and  its  charities,  while  the 
members  continued,  season  after  season,  to  win 
health  and  strength  from  the  recreations  of  The 
DoECAS   Club.  ;  ,     ":>  ^ "^  "   ly 


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